City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 0 miles (10 km) from Santa Monica, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 6 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 Santa Monica, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 0 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 92,168 in Santa Monica — about 42.1× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 8.4 sq mi for Santa Monica.
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 | Santa Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,227/mo | 24.3% higher in Santa Monica |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,654,800 | 101.2% higher in Santa Monica |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $106,797 | 40.1% higher in Santa Monica |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 155.6 | 2.5% higher in Santa Monica |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 104.4 | ≈ equal (Santa Monica slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Santa Monica 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 $101,282 in Santa Monica to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Santa Monica, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Santa Monica than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $81,026 in Santa Monica to keep the same standard of living.