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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Houston skyline
The original uploader was Marc Mongenet at French Wikipedia .. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Los Angeles skyline
Ron Reiring. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License

Houston vs Los Angeles

$1,467/mo less in Los Angeles

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

HoustonLos AngelesAbout 1,369 miles apart, a flight.

  • Los Angeles costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 284 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,693/mo in Los Angeles. $3,160/mo in Houston. −$17,604 a year.

Houston

$3,160

left each month

Los Angeles

$1,693

−$1,467 vs Houston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Los Angeles wins 1 of 4Houston 3 · ties 0
$6,298Take-home · Los Angeles$6,365
$1,188Rent · Houston$2,273
$1,950Other bills · Houston$2,399
$3,160Left over · Houston$1,693

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,769 households moved Houston → Los Angeles (avg AGI $82,766). 3,216 went the other way. The whole move →

−$1,467 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthHoustonLos Angeles
Less leftMore left
Los Angeles · this breakdownHouston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Houston, TX and Los Angeles, CA
Per monthHoustonLos AngelesDifference
Gross pay$7,958$8,739+$780
Income and payroll tax$1,661$2,374+$713
Take-home pay$6,298$6,365+$67
Rent$1,188$2,273+$1,085
Getting around$572$674+$102
Groceries$380$476+$96
Healthcare$428$536+$108
Utilities$238$298+$60
Everything else$333$417+$84
Left over$3,160$1,693−$1,467

Salary to match Houston

$134,000

Gross pay in Los Angeles that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Houston.

Tax difference

−$5,779

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Houston, 27.2% in Los Angeles.

More about Los Angeles

Houston, TX in full

The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.

Los Angeles, CA in full

Perfect weather, deep job market, and a car payment you can't avoid.

The other way

Start in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles → Houston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Los Angeles than Houston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Los Angeles leaves about $1,467 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,188 in Houston and $2,273 in Los Angeles.

Does Los Angeles have state income tax?

Los Angeles is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Houston to Los Angeles?

The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Houston and Los Angeles changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.