

Los Angeles vs Richmond
$649/mo more in Richmond
Los AngelesRichmondAbout 2,278 miles apart, a flight.
- Richmond leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,349/mo in Richmond. $1,700/mo in Los Angeles. +$7,788 a year.
Los Angeles
$1,700
left each month
Richmond
$2,349
+$649 vs Los Angeles
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 196 households moved Los Angeles → Richmond (avg AGI $88,760). 161 went the other way. The whole move →
+$649 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Los Angeles | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,750 | $7,578 | −$1,172 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,378 | $1,922 | −$457 |
| Take-home pay | $6,372 | $5,656 | −$715 |
| Rent | $2,273 | $1,362 | −$911 |
| Getting around | $674 | $553 | −$121 |
| Groceries | $476 | $384 | −$92 |
| Healthcare | $536 | $432 | −$104 |
| Utilities | $298 | $240 | −$58 |
| Everything else | $417 | $336 | −$81 |
| Left over | $1,700 | $2,349 | +$649 |
Salary to match Los Angeles
$79,000
Gross pay in Richmond that leaves the same amount as $105,000 in Los Angeles.
Tax difference
+$1,310
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 27.2% in Los Angeles, 25.4% in Richmond.
More about Richmond
Los Angeles, CA in full
Perfect weather, deep job market, and a car payment you can't avoid.
Richmond, VA in full
DC's cheaper cousin, two hours from both mountains and ocean.
The other way
Start in Richmond.
Richmond → Los Angeles →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Richmond than Los Angeles?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Richmond leaves about $649 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,273 in Los Angeles and $1,362 in Richmond.
Does Richmond have state income tax?
Richmond is in Virginia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Los Angeles to Richmond?
The paycheck is taxed in Virginia. 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 Richmond 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.