Los Angeles is the stuff of American Dreams. The centre of the global entertainment industry, LA is the place to make a name if you love the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
But the city is so much more. Perched on the Pacific coast, LA is a major port and air hub linking the USA with Japan and the Asia Pacific. In addition, LA is the busiest container port in the Americas.
As the largest city in California, Los Angeles (population 3.5 million), while the metropolitan area swallows another 10 million people.
If you are planning a move to Los Angeles, the significant drawbacks are the traffic and smog. In addition, even short trips can take agonising hours.
Table of contents
- How Much Are Day-To-Day Living Costs In Los Angeles?
- Eating out
- Day-to-day groceries
- Getting around
- Utilities (Monthly)
- Sports And Leisure
- Childcare
- Clothing And Shoes
- Cost Of Buying A Home In Los Angeles
- Rent Per Month
- Cost Of Living in Los Angeles FAQ
- Related Articles, Guides and Insights
- Questions or Comments?
How Much Are Day-To-Day Living Costs In Los Angeles?
Expats should set aside £4,548 a month in Los Angeles to cover the same standard of living they would expect from spending £4,800 a month on bills and rent in London.
- Prices in Los Angeles are 7.59 per cent lower than in London (excluding rent)
- Renting a home in Los Angeles is 5.24 per cent cheaper than in London
- Eating out costs 1.13 per cent less in Los Angeles than in London
- The weekly grocery shop is 15.83 per cent lower in Los Angeles than in London
- Spending a pound in Los Angeles buys 16.76 per cent less than spending a pound in London
Here are some examples of living costs compared between London and Los Angeles:
Eating out
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 15.00 | 20.67 | 14.51 | 20.00 | -3.24 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 60.00 | 82.68 | 58.06 | 80.00 | -3.24 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 6.00 | 8.27 | 6.53 | 9.00 | +8.86 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 litre draught) | 5.00 | 6.89 | 5.08 | 7.00 | +1.60 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) | 5.00 | 6.89 | 5.81 | 8.00 | +16.11 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 2.97 | 4.09 | 3.54 | 4.88 | +19.29 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle) | 1.43 | 1.98 | 1.73 | 2.38 | +20.51 % |
| Water (0.33 litre bottle) | 1.13 | 1.55 | 1.57 | 2.16 | +39.07 % |
Day-to-day groceries
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Milk (regular), (1 litre) | 0.94 | 1.30 | 0.70 | 0.96 | -26.09 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 1.04 | 1.44 | 2.50 | 3.45 | +139.75 % |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 1.58 | 2.17 | 3.45 | 4.76 | +119.03 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 2.23 | 3.08 | 2.47 | 3.40 | +10.57 % |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 6.94 | 9.56 | 9.29 | 12.80 | +33.82 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | 6.10 | 8.40 | 9.00 | 12.40 | +47.61 % |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.12 | 13.95 | 11.03 | 15.20 | +8.99 % |
| Apples (1kg) | 2.20 | 3.03 | 2.79 | 3.85 | +27.01 % |
| Banana (1kg) | 1.13 | 1.56 | 1.15 | 1.58 | +1.00 % |
| Oranges (1kg) | 2.00 | 2.76 | 2.35 | 3.23 | +17.14 % |
| Tomato (1kg) | 2.49 | 3.44 | 2.87 | 3.95 | +14.91 % |
| Potato (1kg) | 1.12 | 1.55 | 1.85 | 2.55 | +64.69 % |
| Onion (1kg) | 1.15 | 1.59 | 1.54 | 2.13 | +33.88 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.78 | 1.07 | 1.23 | 1.69 | +57.99 % |
| Water (1.5 litre bottle) | 1.01 | 1.39 | 1.28 | 1.76 | +26.85 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 8.00 | 11.02 | 9.43 | 12.99 | +17.84 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 litre bottle) | 1.88 | 2.59 | 1.85 | 2.55 | -1.45 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) | 2.11 | 2.91 | 1.75 | 2.41 | -17.20 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.50 | 17.22 | 7.26 | 10.00 | -41.94 % |
Getting around
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.75 | 3.79 | 1.27 | 1.75 | -53.82 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 158.00 | 217.72 | 72.57 | 100.00 | -54.07 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 2.80 | 3.86 | 2.07 | 2.85 | -26.13 % |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 1.70 | 2.34 | 1.22 | 1.68 | -28.38 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 28.80 | 39.68 | 21.18 | 29.19 | -26.45 % |
| Gasoline (1 litre) | 1.23 | 1.69 | 0.75 | 1.04 | -38.52 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline or equivalent | 23307 | 32115 | 18143 | 25000 | -22.16 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort or equivalent | 23327 | 32144 | 15890 | 21895 | -31.88 % |
Utilities (Monthly)
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 185.62 | 255.77 | 119.92 | 165.24 | -35.40 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.09 | 0.12 | -33.28 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 31.81 | 43.84 | 48.77 | 67.20 | +53.29 % |
Sports And Leisure
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 46.03 | 63.42 | 31.98 | 44.07 | -30.52 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 9.09 | 12.52 | 6.68 | 9.21 | -26.48 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 14.97 | 20.63 | 10.89 | 15.00 | -27.31 % |
Childcare
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1400 | 1929 | 784 | 1080 | -44.00 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 1550 | 25624 | 16888 | 23271 | -9.18 % |
Clothing And Shoes
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 55.69 | 76.74 | 38.36 | 52.86 | -31.11 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) | 27.81 | 38.33 | 31.60 | 43.54 | +13.60 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 72.07 | 99.30 | 59.88 | 82.52 | -16.90 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 85.38 | 117.66 | 92.54 | 127.51 | +8.38 % |
Cost Of Buying A Home In Los Angeles
Most expats rent rather than buy when they move to Los Angeles.
Rents and property prices are lower in Los Angeles than in London.
Los Angeles spreads across many small communities and neighbourhoods, each with its feel, unlike many world cities. As a result, types of housing vary considerably – from studio flats to sprawling multi-million dollar mansions.
The average home costs $775,000 (£563,000) – but that’s due to the Hollywood effect of celebrities having money to burn pulling up prices.
However, mortgage lenders charge around half the interest rate in Los Angeles, making homes more affordable even though they are more expensive than the UK average of around £255,000.
If you are interested in the east coast of the USA, make sure to read the expat guide to buying property in Florida
Make sure to read through the dedicated articles and guide for Property and Real Estate.
Rent Per Month
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1677 | 2311 | 1609 | 2216 | -4.09 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1290 | 1777 | 1213 | 1671 | -5.97 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3281 | 4521 | 3182 | 4384 | -3.04 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2138 | 2946 | 2190 | 3018 | 2.44 % |
Buying an apartment
| London | London | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Difference | |
| £ | $ | £ | $ | % | |
| Price per Square metre to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 11457 | 15787 | 6333 | 8726 | -44.73 % |
| Price per Square metre to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 5662 | 7802 | 4244 | 5847 | -25.05 % |
Mortgage
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 2.54% | 1.17% | -54.34% |
Cost Of Living inLos Angeles FAQ
Los Angeles is the largest city in California, with more than 13 million people living in the urban sprawl. The currency is the US dollar. The exchange rate is $1 equals £0.73p.
Expats pay sales tax of 9.5 per cent in Los Angeles. The US average is 7.3 per cent.
The income tax rate is 9.3 per cent compared to an average of 4.6 per cent in the US.
Surprisingly, the median household income is lower than the US average in Los Angeles – $49,682 (£35,982) than $53,482 (£38,867).
Yes, expats can retire to the US, but they must have a residency permit or qualify under a visa program.
Many expats retire on an EB-5 investment visa that demands a $500,000 investment into a pre-approved US corporation.
Yes, expats can collect their state pension in Los Angeles. The USA is one of a few countries outside of Europe where the state pension rises with the cost of living increases.
Healthcare in Los Angeles is expensive – some treatments cost twice as much in LA as in the USA. According to the Los Angeles Times, the average medical bill in LA County was $84,179 (£61,232) a patient, while the national average is $46,412 (£33,760).
Read our Expat Health Insurance Guide to understand your options.
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean style climate, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. July is the hottest month, with average temperatures reaching 72 Fahrenheit (22 Centigrade). The wettest and coldest month is January.
Related Articles, Guides and Insights
Make sure you read the guide on moving abroad before you decide. In addition, you can find other additional country guides following the links below.
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