Cost of Living: Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Cruz, CA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Cruz, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Cruz, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Los Angeles, CA
- Lower home prices: Los Angeles, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Cruz, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Cruz, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Los Angeles, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo
Median rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $492/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700
Median home price in Santa Cruz, CA is $522,400 higher than in Los Angeles, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785
Santa Cruz, CA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $36,642.
Santa Cruz, CA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons