Los Angeles, California
Living in Los Angeles, California is about 28% more expensive than the national average, with a cost of living index of 128 (US = 100). Typical rent is $2,929 a month, 52% above the national figure of $1,932, and regular gas costs $5.71 a gallon versus $3.98 nationally as of November 11, 2026. Rent, gas, groceries, electricity and car insurance take about 59% of the area's $87,760 median household income.
Key Numbers
Gas (Regular)
$5.71
National: $3.98
Avg Rent (All)
$2,929
National: $1,932
Grocery Inflation
1.77%
Year-over-year
Fast Food Avg
$15.00
Combo meal
Electricity
29.75¢
per kWh · ~$268/mo
Car Insurance
$210/mo
$2,520/yr
Median Household Income
$87,760
58.6% goes to essentials
Car Insurance
Avg $2,520 in Los Angeles. Compare rates:
📸 Help make this data more accurate
Some prices above are regional estimates. Submit a receipt from a local store to help us show what Los Angeles residents actually pay.
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Find Apartments
Avg rent $2,929/mo in Los Angeles. Browse listings:
Grocery Prices
Grocery Prices — 2000 to Present
National BLS averages · submit local prices below ↓
Eggs (dozen)
Bird flu volatility
$0.97 in 2000 → $2.32 BLS avg
Milk (gallon)
$2.79 in 2000 → $4.10 BLS avg
$4.79 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Ground Beef (lb)
$1.48 in 2000 → $6.75 BLS avg
$7.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Bread (loaf)
$0.91 in 2000 → $1.86 BLS avg
$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Chicken Breast (lb)
$1.06 in 2000 → $2.03 BLS avg
$5.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Butter (lb)
$3.98 BLS avg
$5.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Bacon (lb)
$2.75 in 2000 → $6.69 BLS avg
$5.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Cheddar Cheese (lb)
$3.84 in 2000 → $6.13 BLS avg
$5.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Pasta (lb)
$0.88 in 2000 → $1.38 BLS avg
$1.67 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Rice (5 lb)
$2.50 in 2000 → $5.50 BLS avg
$4.97 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Coffee (12 oz)
$2.65 in 2000 → $6.94 BLS avg
$9.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Orange Juice (64 oz)
Citrus shortage
$6.95 estimate
Potatoes (5 lb)
$1.96 in 2000 → $4.95 BLS avg
$3.49 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Apples (3 lb)
$6.46 estimate
$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Tomatoes (lb)
$1.44 in 2000 → $2.08 BLS avg
$1.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Lettuce (head)
$0.75 in 2000 → $1.96 BLS avg
Cooking Oil (48 oz)
$9.76 estimate
$4.29 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Yogurt (32 oz)
$6.33 estimate
$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Cereal (family size)
$8.08 estimate
$6.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
Frozen Pizza
$11.43 estimate
$7.69 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026)
| Item | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2022 | 2026 | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs (dozen)Bird flu volatility | $0.97 | $1.21 | $1.79 | $2.11 | $1.46 | $1.93 | $2.32 | +137.9% |
| Milk (gallon)$4.79 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $2.79 | $3.30 | $3.24 | $3.76 | $3.25 | $3.79 | $4.10 | +47.3% |
| Ground Beef (lb)$7.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $1.48 | $2.19 | $2.28 | $4.24 | $3.89 | $4.55 | $6.75 | +355.5% |
| Bread (loaf)$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $0.91 | $1.00 | $1.36 | $1.48 | $1.35 | $1.55 | $1.86 | +105.2% |
| Chicken Breast (lb)$5.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $1.06 | $1.03 | $1.26 | $1.55 | $1.41 | $1.62 | $2.03 | +91.3% |
| Butter (lb)$5.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | $3.86 | $3.67 | $3.98 | -4.2% since 2018 |
| Bacon (lb)$5.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $2.75 | $3.37 | $3.63 | $5.59 | $5.50 | $7.22 | $6.69 | +143.1% |
| Cheddar Cheese (lb)$5.00 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $3.84 | $4.21 | $4.72 | $5.40 | $5.20 | $5.32 | $6.13 | +59.6% |
| Pasta (lb)$1.67 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $0.88 | $0.94 | $1.15 | $1.26 | $1.23 | $1.12 | $1.38 | +57.1% |
| Rice (5 lb)$4.97 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $2.50 | $2.98 | $3.77 | $3.46 | $3.58 | $4.16 | $5.50 | +120.6% |
| Coffee (12 oz)$9.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $2.65 | $2.29 | $2.86 | $3.55 | $3.13 | $3.85 | $6.94 | +161.3% |
| Orange Juice (64 oz)Citrus shortageLocal estimate | — | — | — | — | — | $4.71 | $6.95 | +47.6% since 2022 |
| Potatoes (5 lb)$3.49 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $1.96 | $2.29 | $2.81 | $3.34 | $4.01 | $3.96 | $4.95 | +152.6% |
| Apples (3 lb)Local estimate$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $5.47 | $6.46 | +18.1% since 2022 |
| Tomatoes (lb)$1.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | $1.44 | $1.66 | $1.84 | $2.09 | $2.22 | $1.89 | $2.08 | +44.4% |
| Lettuce (head) | $0.75 | $0.82 | $0.90 | $1.17 | $1.34 | — | $1.96 | +162.3% |
| Cooking Oil (48 oz)Local estimate$4.29 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $6.82 | $9.76 | +43.1% since 2022 |
| Yogurt (32 oz)Local estimate$4.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $5.21 | $6.33 | +21.5% since 2022 |
| Cereal (family size)Local estimate$6.99 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $5.95 | $8.08 | +35.8% since 2022 |
| Frozen PizzaLocal estimate$7.69 @ Ralphs - Westside Walk (Nov 2026) | — | — | — | — | — | $7.92 | $11.43 | +44.3% since 2022 |
Dining & Restaurants
Fast Food Meal
$15.00
Casual Dining
$48.13
Monthly Spend
$801.07
+3.73% YoYChain Restaurant Meal Prices — 2022 vs. Today
Combo meal / typical order for one
McDonald's
2022: $15.55
$25.08
+61.3%Wendy's
2022: $17.56
$27.09
+54.3%Chipotle
2022: $18.81
$28.09
+49.3%Starbucks
2022: $8.64
$12.00
+38.9%Eating out more? Save on groceries with Ibotta and cook at home more often.
Looking for an Apartment in Los Angeles?
Average 1BR: $2,402/mo · 2BR: $3,456/mo
Local Workforce
2024 · BLS QCEWTotal Jobs
4526k
Median Weekly Pay
$1,607
$84k/yr
Top Sector
Education & Health Services
Household vs Worker Pay
$88k
household median
Employment by Sector — Los Angeles
% of local workforce · avg weekly wage · 5-year growth trend
~$59k/yr
~$69k/yr
~$104k/yr
~$54k/yr
~$96k/yr
Source: BLS QCEW 2024 Annual · County FIPS 06037
Highest Paying Sector
Information
$3,397/wk · $177k/yr
Most Workers (lowest wage)
Leisure & Hospitality
$1,032/wk · $54k/yr
Los Angeles Cost of Living FAQ
Is Los Angeles, CA expensive to live in?
Los Angeles has a cost of living index of 128, where 100 is the US average, so it is about 28% more expensive than average. It is the 5th most affordable of the 30 California cities we track.
What is the average rent in Los Angeles, CA?
Typical rent in Los Angeles is $2,929 a month for all home types as of September 2026, 52% above the national figure of $1,932. One bedroom units average about $2,402 and two bedrooms about $3,456. Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index for the metro area.
Is rent going up in Los Angeles?
Rent in Los Angeles rose 1.8% over the past year, slower than the 2.7% change nationally.
How much is gas in Los Angeles?
Regular unleaded costs about $5.71 a gallon in Los Angeles as of November 11, 2026, based on the AAA average for California. That is 44% above the national average of $3.98.
How much is electricity in Los Angeles?
Homes in California pay an average of 29.8 cents per kWh (EIA), versus 18.4 cents nationally. At 900 kWh a month, a typical bill in Los Angeles is about $268.
How much is car insurance in Los Angeles?
Full coverage car insurance averages $2,520 a year in California, or about $210 a month (Bankrate and NAIC state average), compared with $2,150 a year nationally.
How much do you need to live in Los Angeles?
Median household income in the Los Angeles area is $87,760 (Census ACS 2023, county level). Rent, gas, groceries, electricity and car insurance add up to about $51,420 a year, or 59% of that income. Groceries are counted at $7,112 a year, the average household spend on food at home in the region (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey).
How does Los Angeles compare with the rest of California?
Rent in Los Angeles is 21% above the $2,424 average across the 30 California cities we track, and its cost of living index of 128 compares with a state average of 137.
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