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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Los Angeles skyline
Ron Reiring. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License
Seattle skyline
C. P. Johnston Co., Seattle, Washington. Public domain. Photo source · License

Los Angeles vs Seattle

$1,705/mo more in Seattle

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

Los AngelesSeattleAbout 943 miles apart, a flight.

  • Seattle leaves you more
  • No state income tax
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $3,405/mo in Seattle. $1,700/mo in Los Angeles. +$20,460 a year.

Los Angeles

$1,700

left each month

Seattle

$3,405

+$1,705 vs Los Angeles

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Seattle wins 4 of 4Los Angeles 0 · ties 0
$6,372Take-home · Seattle$7,294
$2,273Rent · Seattle$1,758
$2,399Other bills · Seattle$2,131
$1,700Left over · Seattle$3,405

Next

In 2022-2023, 4,474 households moved Los Angeles → Seattle (avg AGI $112,636). 3,374 went the other way. The whole move →

+$1,705 / 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 monthLos AngelesSeattle
Less leftMore left
Seattle · this breakdownLos Angeles · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA
Per monthLos AngelesSeattleDifference
Gross pay$8,750$9,375+$625
Income and payroll tax$2,378$2,081−$297
Take-home pay$6,372$7,294+$922
Rent$2,273$1,758−$515
Getting around$674$493−$181
Groceries$476$452−$24
Healthcare$536$508−$28
Utilities$298$283−$15
Everything else$417$395−$22
Left over$1,700$3,405+$1,705

Salary to match Los Angeles

$83,500

Gross pay in Seattle that leaves the same amount as $105,000 in Los Angeles.

Tax difference

+$5,792

A year, in state and local income tax. Washington has no wage income tax.

More about Seattle

Los Angeles, CA in full

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

Seattle, WA in full

No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.

The other way

Start in Seattle.

Seattle → Los Angeles →

Questions

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

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Seattle leaves about $1,705 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,273 in Los Angeles and $1,758 in Seattle.

Does Seattle have state income tax?

Seattle is in Washington, which has no state income tax.

What changes if you move from Los Angeles to Seattle?

The paycheck is taxed in Washington. 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 Seattle 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.