Los Angeles vs San Francisco
Salary equivalence calculator
Price-level ratio 1.177. Adjust to recalculate.
| Metric | Los Angeles | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level index (NYC=100) | 82.0 | 96.5 | +17.7% |
| Rent index (NYC=100) | 78.0 | 104.2 | +33.6% |
| Equivalent of $120,000 | $120,000 | $141,220 | costlier |
- San Francisco is about 18% more expensive than Los Angeles, so you need a higher nominal salary to break even.
How far does your salary go in San Francisco?
Moving from Los Angeles to San Francisco changes your cost of living in ways a currency conversion can't capture. What matters is purchasing power: how much the same basket of housing, food, transport and services costs in each place. On our index, where New York City = 100, Los Angeles sits at 82.0 and San Francisco at 96.5.
That makes San Francisco roughly 18% more expensive. A salary of $120,000 in Los Angeles translates to about $141,220 in San Francisco. Above that and you gain in real terms; below it and you take an effective pay cut.
Housing drives the gap
Rent is the largest and most variable line in most budgets. San Francisco's rent index is 104.2 versus Los Angeles's 78.0.
Common mistakes
- Converting currency instead of purchasing power.
- Ignoring taxes, which vary by jurisdiction.
- Forgetting one-off relocation costs.
Bottom line
San Francisco is about 18% more expensive than Los Angeles, so you need a higher nominal salary to break even. Use the calculator to plug in your real salary and compare against any concrete offer.
Rent equivalence: Los Angeles vs San Francisco
Based on the rent-index ratio of 1.336 (Los Angeles 78.0 vs San Francisco 104.2, NYC = 100).
Housing is usually the biggest single difference between two cities, and it moves independently of the overall price level. Renting the equivalent home in San Francisco costs about 34% more than in Los Angeles. Enter your actual rent above to see what a like-for-like place would cost after you move — a more honest gauge of affordability than a raw salary conversion, since renters and owners feel very different impacts.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do I need in San Francisco to match Los Angeles?
To keep the same standard of living as $120,000 in Los Angeles, you would need roughly $141,220 in San Francisco, a price-level ratio of 1.18.
Is San Francisco more expensive than Los Angeles?
Yes, by about 18% on the overall price level.
How much is rent in San Francisco compared to Los Angeles?
Rent in San Francisco is about 34% higher than in Los Angeles (rent indices 78.0 vs 104.2, NYC = 100). Use the rent calculator on this page for your exact figure.
How is the equivalent salary calculated?
We multiply your salary by the ratio of the two cities' composite price-level indices (housing, food, transport, services), benchmarked so New York City = 100.
Methodology
We build a composite price-level index for each city from official regional price parities and international purchasing-power parities across housing, food, transport and services, normalized so New York City = 100. The equivalent salary is your salary multiplied by the ratio of the destination index to the origin index. It estimates the income needed to hold real purchasing power constant and does not model taxes.