City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 9.1% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $109,100 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Modesto, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.0% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,672 in Modesto | $109,085 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
97 Strong offer
Modesto, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Los Angeles → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +17.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +17.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +17.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +17.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +17.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $101,640 | $110,874 (+8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $119,770 | $130,651 (−18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $83,560 | $91,151 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $132,590 | $144,636 (+6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.