Median rent is 31% lower in Los Angeles ($1,933/mo vs $2,787/mo). Buying is cheaper in Los Angeles, where the median home runs $921,200 versus $1,092,100. Households earn more in Cambridge ($130,748 vs $81,939 a year). Taken together, Cambridge is the more affordable choice with a cost index of 110.4 against 114.7 — about 4% lower overall prices. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Cambridge, MA.
Cost of living verdict
Cambridge is 4% cheaper overall
Cost of Living Index: 110.4 in Cambridge vs 114.7 in Los Angeles (US national average = 100)
City A
Cambridge, MA
City B
Los Angeles, CA
How much would you need to earn in Los Angeles, CA to maintain your standard of living from Cambridge, MA?
Equivalent salary in Los Angeles, CA
$77,959
You'd need $2,959 more (4% higher).
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Cambridge
Massachusetts
Los Angeles
California
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Los Angeles — median rent of $1,933/mo versus $2,787/mo in Cambridge, a 31% difference. Median home values are within 16% of each other: $1,092,100 in Cambridge and $921,200 in Los Angeles.
Metric
Cambridge
Los Angeles
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Cambridge
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Los Angeles
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Los Angeles (avg AQI 31.0) but not yet for Cambridge.
Pick Cambridge if you prioritize lower overall cost of living (index 110.4 vs 114.7).
Pick Cambridge if you prioritize higher median household income ($130,748/yr).
Pick Los Angeles if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,933/mo median).
Cambridge is cheaper overall, with a cost of living index of 110.4 versus 114.7 (US average = 100). That means prices run about 4% lower in Cambridge.
Median rent is $2,787/mo in Cambridge, MA and $1,933/mo in Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles, CA has the lower rent by about 31%.
Median household income is $130,748 in Cambridge, MA and $81,939 in Los Angeles, CA. Cambridge, MA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
To maintain the same purchasing power, a salary of $100,000 in Cambridge, MA is equivalent to roughly $103,946 in Los Angeles, CA (using the BEA Regional Price Parity ratio). Use the salary calculator above for any income amount.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
