City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 20.9% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $120,900 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Cleveland, OH to Los Angeles, CA ($111,138 → $124,085), while prices change by +20.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,914 in Los Angeles | $82,703 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Cleveland → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,957 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $87,061 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $104,349 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $124,085 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $146,632 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $101,860 | $84,242 (+10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $160,920 | $133,086 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $94,360 | $78,039 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $135,560 | $112,113 (+33.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.