City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 18.5% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $118,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Buffalo, NY to Los Angeles, CA ($111,301 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,490 in Los Angeles | $84,395 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Buffalo → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $71,957 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $87,061 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $104,349 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $124,085 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $146,632 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $101,860 | $85,965 (+12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $160,920 | $135,808 (+6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $94,360 | $79,635 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $135,560 | $114,406 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.