Last updated:
Los Angeles vs Boston: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Boston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 5% lower than in Los Angeles, and housing runs 15% lower. Boston pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $66,500 against $56,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Boston ($61,500 against $49,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Los Angeles runs 5% higher than Boston overall, and housing runs 15% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Boston, you need about $105,000 in Los Angeles. To keep $100,000 from Los Angeles, you need about $95,500 in Boston.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $56,000 in Los Angeles, $66,500 in Boston.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $157,500 in Los Angeles, $159,000 in Boston.
- Open postings in our data: 10,784 in Los Angeles from 844 employers, 5,962 in Boston from 677 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.8% in Los Angeles, 4.1% in Boston (BLS).
Los Angeles and Boston side by side
| Measure | Los Angeles | Boston | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 108.3 | Boston |
| Housing price level | 170.4 | 148.4 | Boston |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $56,000 | $66,500 | Boston |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $49,000 | $61,500 | Boston |
| Median pay in open postings | $157,500 | $159,000 | About the same |
| Postings that list pay | 62.4% | 59.8% | Los Angeles |
| Open postings in our data | 10,784 | 5,962 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 844 | 677 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.8% | 4.1% | Boston |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.1% | 26.5% | Boston |
| Median days a posting has been open | 44 | 28 | Boston |
| Entry-level share of postings | 9.4% | 12.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 3.9% | 7.8% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -15.6% | -16% | Los Angeles |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Los Angeles prices sit 113.6 against a US average of 100 and Boston at 108.3. The biggest difference is housing: 170.4 in Los Angeles against 148.4 in Boston. Utilities are 7% higher in Los Angeles. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Los Angeles | Boston | Los Angeles vs Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 113.6 | 108.3 | 5% higher |
| Housing | 170.4 | 148.4 | 15% higher |
| Goods | 106.6 | 99.7 | 7% higher |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 148.8 | 7% higher |
| Other services | 104.4 | 103.6 | 1% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Boston to Los Angeles; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Boston | Matching salary in Los Angeles | If only housing moved | Salary in Los Angeles | Matching salary in Boston | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $52,500 | $57,500 | $50,000 | $47,500 | $43,500 |
| $75,000 | $78,500 | $86,000 | $75,000 | $71,500 | $65,500 |
| $100,000 | $105,000 | $115,000 | $100,000 | $95,500 | $87,000 |
| $125,000 | $131,000 | $143,500 | $125,000 | $119,000 | $109,000 |
| $150,000 | $157,500 | $172,000 | $150,000 | $143,000 | $130,500 |
| $200,000 | $210,000 | $229,500 | $200,000 | $190,500 | $174,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $50.43 an hour in Los Angeles for someone earning $100,000 in Boston.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Los Angeles for 18 and higher in Boston for 39. After local prices are counted, Los Angeles comes out ahead in 10 and Boston in 47. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $135,600 in Los Angeles against $106,200 in Boston.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Los Angeles median | Boston median | Los Angeles adjusted for prices | Boston adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,300 | $40,900 | $30,200 | $37,800 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $42,100 | $36,300 | $37,100 | $33,500 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,700 | $36,900 | $33,200 | $34,000 |
| General and Operations Managers | $125,800 | $133,800 | $110,800 | $123,600 |
| Registered Nurses | $135,600 | $106,200 | $119,400 | $98,100 |
| Cashiers | $37,000 | $36,000 | $32,600 | $33,300 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,100 | $50,700 | $42,400 | $46,800 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,400 | $45,600 | $37,300 | $42,100 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,900 | $39,300 | $31,600 | $36,300 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,700 | $46,600 | $34,100 | $43,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,700 | $37,700 | $34,000 | $34,800 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,400 | $100,200 | $83,100 | $92,500 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $48,800 | $49,900 | $43,000 | $46,100 |
| Security Guards | $40,000 | $45,000 | $35,200 | $41,600 |
| Software Developers | $160,900 | $166,100 | $141,700 | $153,400 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Los Angeles for 6 of 12 and higher in Boston for 6. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Los Angeles median listed pay | Postings | Boston median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $193,000 | 482 | $190,000 | 276 |
| Engineering (other) | $160,000 | 559 | $152,500 | 70 |
| Sales | $109,000 | 327 | $142,500 | 265 |
| Operations and logistics | $146,000 | 313 | $130,500 | 114 |
| Marketing | $160,000 | 145 | $145,000 | 126 |
| Software engineering | $185,000 | 166 | $184,000 | 96 |
| Security and IT | $170,000 | 160 | $166,000 | 87 |
| Product and design | $154,000 | 140 | $185,000 | 92 |
| Finance and accounting | $150,000 | 147 | $156,000 | 62 |
| Legal and compliance | $165,500 | 138 | $187,000 | 47 |
| People and recruiting | $127,500 | 92 | $136,500 | 50 |
| Data and analytics | $151,500 | 52 | $165,000 | 31 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Los Angeles's postings lean toward manufacturing & industrial (27.5%), while Boston's lean toward healthcare & life sciences (40.8%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Los Angeles: Anduril Industries (1,554), SpaceX (750), Relativity (297), Rocketlab (267), K2spacecorporation (207).
- Largest posters in Boston: Mass General Brigham (1,278), State Street (234), Anduril Industries (198), Whoop (167), Formlabs (136).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 44 days in Los Angeles and 28 in Boston; 41.1% and 26.5% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 9.4% of postings in Los Angeles and 12.6% in Boston; senior and above are 48.7% and 45.8%.
- Fully remote roles are 3.9% of postings in Los Angeles and 7.8% in Boston.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% below its February 2020 level in Los Angeles and 16% below in Boston.
- 62.4% of postings in Los Angeles list pay, against 59.8% in Boston.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Boston) stretches it further: $100,000 in Los Angeles has the buying power of about $95,500 in Boston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Boston comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($61,500 against $49,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $193,000 in Los Angeles and $190,000 in Boston, which is $170,000 and $175,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (170.4 vs 148.4) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Los Angeles or Boston?
Boston is cheaper. Overall prices run 5% lower than in Los Angeles, and housing runs 15% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Los Angeles to match $100,000 in Boston?
About $105,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (113.6 in Los Angeles, 108.3 in Boston). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Los Angeles or Boston?
Boston has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $66,500 against $56,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Boston has the higher paycheck power: $61,500 against $49,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Los Angeles has more: 10,784 against 5,962. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: all the data
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
Other comparisons
New York vs Los AngelesNew York vs BostonLos Angeles vs ChicagoLos Angeles vs DallasLos Angeles vs HoustonLos Angeles vs WashingtonLos Angeles vs PhiladelphiaLos Angeles vs AtlantaLos Angeles vs MiamiLos Angeles vs Phoenix
Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology