Cost of Living: Waltham, MA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Waltham, MA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 32.52% of gross in Waltham, MA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Los Angeles, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waltham, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Waltham, MA
32.52%
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 Waltham, MA and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Waltham, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Waltham, MA: $2,121/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Waltham, MA is $426/mo higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Home Price

Waltham, MA: $705,700 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Waltham, MA is $48,000 higher than in Los Angeles, CA.

Median Household Income

Waltham, MA: $116,560 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Waltham, MA has a higher median household income than Los Angeles, CA by $41,775.

Waltham, MA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons