Cost of Living: Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 34.06% of gross in Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Monica, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Los Angeles, CA
- Lower home prices: Los Angeles, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Monica, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Monica, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Los Angeles, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo
Median rent in Santa Monica, CA is $526/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $1,152,500 higher than in Los Angeles, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Monica, CA: $109,739 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785
Santa Monica, CA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $34,954.
Santa Monica, CA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons