Cost of Living: Memphis, TN vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Memphis, TN versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 16.37% of gross in Memphis, TN versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Memphis, TN tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Memphis, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Memphis, TN
16.37%
COLI tier: lower-cost
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 Memphis, TN and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Memphis, TN
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Memphis, TN
  • Lower home prices: Memphis, TN
  • Higher median household income: Los Angeles, CA

Cost of Living Index

Memphis, TN: 82.5 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Memphis, TN: $1,067/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $628/mo higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Home Price

Memphis, TN: $157,100 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $500,600 higher than in Memphis, TN.

Median Household Income

Memphis, TN: $51,211 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Memphis, TN by $23,574.

Memphis, TN overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons