Cost of Living: Reston, VA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,181/mo in Reston, VA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 31.63% of gross in Reston, VA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Reston, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Reston, VA
31.63%
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 Reston, VA and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Reston, VA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Reston, VA: $2,062/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Reston, VA is $367/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Home Price

Reston, VA: $616,000 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $41,700 higher than in Reston, VA.

Median Household Income

Reston, VA: $139,515 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Reston, VA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $64,730.

Reston, VA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons