City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 2.2% higher than in Seattle, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Seattle, WA would need about $102,200 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA and $2,146 in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Seattle, WA ($124,085 → $119,630), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,858 in Seattle | $102,189 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Los Angeles → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,373 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,935 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,602 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $119,630 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,367 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $102,920 | $105,173 (+3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $167,280 | $170,942 (+6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $99,370 | $101,545 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $128,260 | $131,068 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.