Cost of Living: Durham, NC vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,254/mo in Durham, NC versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 20.57% of gross in Durham, NC versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Durham, NC tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Durham, NC
$4,254/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Durham, NC
20.57%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Durham, NC and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Durham, NC
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Durham, NC
  • Lower home prices: Durham, NC
  • Higher median household income: Durham, NC

Cost of Living Index

Durham, NC: 99.2 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

Durham, NC has a lower cost-of-living index than Los Angeles, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Durham, NC: $1,342/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $353/mo higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Home Price

Durham, NC: $355,300 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $302,400 higher than in Durham, NC.

Median Household Income

Durham, NC: $79,234 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Durham, NC has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $4,449.

Durham, NC overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons