

Los Angeles vs Sacramento
$443/mo more in Sacramento
Los AngelesSacramentoAbout 359 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Sacramento leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 265 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,143/mo in Sacramento. $1,700/mo in Los Angeles. +$5,316 a year.
Los Angeles
$1,700
left each month
Sacramento
$2,143
+$443 vs Los Angeles
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 2,772 households moved Los Angeles → Sacramento (avg AGI $87,219). 2,618 went the other way. The whole move →
+$443 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Los Angeles | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,750 | $8,047 | −$703 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,378 | $2,104 | −$274 |
| Take-home pay | $6,372 | $5,943 | −$429 |
| Rent | $2,273 | $1,663 | −$610 |
| Getting around | $674 | $600 | −$74 |
| Groceries | $476 | $424 | −$52 |
| Healthcare | $536 | $477 | −$59 |
| Utilities | $298 | $265 | −$33 |
| Everything else | $417 | $371 | −$46 |
| Left over | $1,700 | $2,143 | +$443 |
Salary to match Los Angeles
$88,000
Gross pay in Sacramento that leaves the same amount as $105,000 in Los Angeles.
Tax difference
+$785
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 27.2% in Los Angeles, 26.2% in Sacramento.
More about Sacramento
Los Angeles, CA in full
Perfect weather, deep job market, and a car payment you can't avoid.
Sacramento, CA in full
Bay Area access at two-thirds the rent, with California's tax bill intact.
The other way
Start in Sacramento.
Sacramento → Los Angeles →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Sacramento than Los Angeles?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Sacramento leaves about $443 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,273 in Los Angeles and $1,663 in Sacramento.
Does Sacramento have state income tax?
Sacramento is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Los Angeles to Sacramento?
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 Los Angeles and Sacramento 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.