Moving from Anchorage to Los Angeles
Moving to Los Angeles costs you $1,113 a month
−$13,356 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Anchorage leftover
$2,806
a month after tax and rent
Los Angeles leftover
$1,693
−$1,113 vs Anchorage
| Per month | Anchorage | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,167 | $8,744 | +$578 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,723 | $2,376 | +$653 |
| Take-home pay | $6,444 | $6,368 | −$76 |
| Rent | $1,346 | $2,276 | +$930 |
| Getting around | $636 | $674 | +$38 |
| Groceries | $457 | $476 | +$19 |
| Healthcare | $514 | $536 | +$22 |
| Utilities | $286 | $298 | +$12 |
| Everything else | $400 | $417 | +$17 |
| Left over | $2,806 | $1,693 | −$1,113 |
To break even in Los Angeles, you'd need to earn
$127,000
Household gross, versus $98,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Anchorage does now.
The tax difference alone
−$5,786
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.1% in Anchorage, 27.2% in Los Angeles.
More about Los Angeles
Anchorage, AK in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,602 and 138 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
Los Angeles, CA in full
Perfect weather, deep job market, and a car payment you can't avoid.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Los Angeles on Los Angeles wages.
Los Angeles → Anchorage →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Los Angeles than Anchorage?
A one-bedroom is about $1,346 in Anchorage versus $2,276 in Los Angeles. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $1,113 a month lower in Los Angeles. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Los Angeles have state income tax?
Los Angeles is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Anchorage to Los Angeles?
Take-home pay is recalculated under California tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.