Comfortable Weather
#4
of 124 cities
90/100 weather score
Current value
#34 of 124
North America
Los Angeles
CA, United States
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Los Angeles compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Los Angeles is 27% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Los Angeles compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$106,113
-$67K (-39%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 38%
Community Insights
New7.2/10
Los Angeles offers a high-paying but expensive lifestyle for software engineers, distinct from other hubs due to its convergence of tech, entertainment, and aerospace. While the median salary is competitive ($170k), residents caution that the high cost of living and taxes eat significantly into savings. The "Silicon Beach" area provides a laid-back, sun-soaked alternative to Silicon Valley, appealing to those who want to escape the "tech bro" monoculture.
However, the city's infrastructure is a major pain point. Traffic is a defining feature of daily life, forcing most engineers to live close to work or suffer long commutes. Safety and homelessness are visible issues that affect neighborhood choices. Ultimately, LA is for those who prioritize lifestyle, weather, and cultural vibrancy over maximizing pure financial savings or walking-to-work convenience.
The Good
Rankings
Top 3%
Community Events
#6
of 124 cities
40 events on luma
Current value
Net Income
#15
of 124 cities
$106,113/yr
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Los Angeles compared to San Francisco?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Los Angeles to maintain the same standard of living.
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