City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 325 miles (550 km) from South San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h 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 South San Francisco, CA takes about 40 min, covering roughly 325 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 65,596 in South San Francisco — about 59.2× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 9.2 sq mi for South San Francisco.
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 | South San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,649/mo | 47.9% higher in South San Francisco |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,113,000 | 35.3% higher in South San Francisco |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $127,062 | 66.7% higher in South San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 108.1 | 1.6% higher in South San Francisco |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 168.3 | 10.9% higher in South San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 106.1 | 2.0% higher in South San Francisco |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 106.0 | 1.6% higher in South San Francisco |
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 $110,552 in South San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 9.5% cheaper overall than South San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% higher in South San Francisco than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $88,442 in South San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.