Boston vs Los Angeles Cost of Living
Boston (United States) · Overall index 84.9 — Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3
Summary
- Overall, Los Angeles is 1% cheaper than Boston.
- Utilities & household in Los Angeles is 5% more expensive than in Boston.
- Rent in Los Angeles is 3% cheaper than in Boston.
| Item | Boston | Los Angeles | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -3% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,269 | $3,015 | -8% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,931 | $2,094 | +8% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,699 | $5,390 | -5% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,016 | $3,727 | -7% |
| Groceries | -3% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.23 | $1.22 | -1% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.9 | $4.23 | +8% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.61 | $5.36 | -4% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.67 | $4.45 | -5% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $13.9 | $12.9 | -7% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12 | $13.9 | +16% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $20 | $19.4 | -3% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.14 | $5.63 | -8% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.28 | $2.08 | -9% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.62 | $4.73 | +2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.51 | $5.89 | +7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.25 | $2.66 | -18% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.95 | $2.62 | -11% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.84 | $2.64 | -7% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.22 | $2.4 | +8% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $16.2 | $15.1 | -7% |
| Transport | +2% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.61 | $2.52 | -3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $114 | $123 | +8% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.53 | $3.66 | +4% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.74 | $1.93 | +11% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.86 | $0.95 | +10% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $28,251 | $24,629 | -13% |
| Dining out | +2% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.5 | $19.4 | -14% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $120 | $120 | 0% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.3 | $10.6 | +3% |
| Cappuccino | $4.9 | $5.3 | +8% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.58 | $2.52 | -2% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $7.54 | $7.79 | +3% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.42 | $8.45 | +14% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.86 | $1.83 | -2% |
| Telecom | -1% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.5 | $53.8 | +1% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.8 | $58.1 | -13% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.32 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $15 | +11% |
| Utilities & household | +5% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $161 | $181 | +12% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.24 | +20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.73 | $4.85 | +3% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.61 | $1.31 | -19% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $22.7 | -4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $83.8 | $88.5 | +6% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $14.9 | $16.8 | +13% |
| Men's haircut | $30.1 | $30.7 | +2% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $27.4 | $27.9 | +2% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,899 | $2,276 | +20% |
3,352 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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