Cost of Living: Tucson, AZ vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Tucson, AZ versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 16.82% of gross in Tucson, AZ versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Tucson, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Tucson, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Tucson, AZ
16.82%
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 Tucson, AZ and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Tucson, AZ: 94.2 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Tucson, AZ: $1,097/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $598/mo higher than in Tucson, AZ.

Median Home Price

Tucson, AZ: $286,900 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $370,800 higher than in Tucson, AZ.

Median Household Income

Tucson, AZ: $67,929 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Tucson, AZ by $6,856.

Tucson, AZ overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons