Cost of Living: Palm Desert, CA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Palm Desert, CA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 25.01% of gross in Palm Desert, CA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Palm Desert, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Palm Desert, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Palm Desert, CA
25.01%
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 Palm Desert, CA and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Palm Desert, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Palm Desert, CA: $1,631/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $64/mo higher than in Palm Desert, CA.

Median Home Price

Palm Desert, CA: $491,600 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $166,100 higher than in Palm Desert, CA.

Median Household Income

Palm Desert, CA: $79,508 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Palm Desert, CA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $4,723.

Palm Desert, CA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons