City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 350 miles (550 km) from San Rafael, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Los Angeles, CA to San Rafael, CA takes about 43 min, covering roughly 350 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 60,891 in San Rafael — about 63.7× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for San Rafael.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Los Angeles | San Rafael | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,257/mo | 26.0% higher in San Rafael |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,212,000 | 47.3% higher in San Rafael |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $113,839 | 49.3% higher in San Rafael |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 107.4 | 0.9% higher in San Rafael |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 164.6 | 8.5% higher in San Rafael |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 104.8 | 0.8% higher in San Rafael |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.8 | ≈ equal (San Rafael slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need $105,608 in San Rafael to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 5.3% cheaper overall than San Rafael, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% higher in San Rafael than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $84,486 in San Rafael to keep the same standard of living.