City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 9.9% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $109,900 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Phoenix, AZ ($124,085 → $111,338), while prices change by −9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,974 in Phoenix | $109,921 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
100 Strong offer
Phoenix, AZ → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
27 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Los Angeles → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,564 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,117 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,629 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,338 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,568 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $59,180 | $65,051 (−36.1%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $131,750 | $144,821 (−10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $80,820 | $88,838 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $100,830 | $110,833 (−18.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.