Cost of Living: Waterloo, IA vs Los Angeles, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Waterloo, IA versus $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 13.06% of gross in Waterloo, IA versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Waterloo, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waterloo, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Waterloo, IA
13.06%
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 Waterloo, IA and Los Angeles, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Waterloo, IA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Waterloo, IA: $852/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $843/mo higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Home Price

Waterloo, IA: $150,200 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $507,500 higher than in Waterloo, IA.

Median Household Income

Waterloo, IA: $56,344 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Waterloo, IA by $18,441.

Waterloo, IA overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons