Moving from Philadelphia to Los Angeles
Your paycheck buys 8.5% less in Los Angeles than in Philadelphia; you'd need about $100,300 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Los Angeles: $100,300
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $100,300 in Los Angeles, CA to match $90,000 in Philadelphia, PA ($10,300 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Pennsylvania and California state income tax; includes Philadelphia resident tax $3,362 (inside city limits).
Philadelphia vs Los Angeles: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,567 → $2,114/mo
- Median home value
- $375,100 → $908,500
- Median household income
- $90,850 → $96,405
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 102.6 → 113.6
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (94.5 → 100.0 of 100)
Philadelphia vs Los Angeles cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Philadelphia, PA | Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 102.6 | 113.6 |
| Median rent | $1,567 | $2,114 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $62,680 | $84,560 |
| Median home value | $375,100 | $908,500 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,498 | $5,435 |
| Income needed to buy | $107,073 | $232,916 |
| Median property tax | $5,016 | $6,011 |
| State income tax on $90,000 | $2,763 | $4,125 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $3,362 | None |
| Metro population | 6,330,422 | 12,927,614 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Commuters who live elsewhere often pay a nonresident rate, and many suburbs levy their own local tax, so unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates a typical suburban rate for it instead.
- Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia residents pay a 3.735% wage tax on all earnings (from July 1, 2026; 3.74% before). If you live outside Philadelphia but work in the city, you pay the 3.425% nonresident wage tax on those wages instead of your home town's tax. Most Pennsylvania suburbs charge their own earned income tax, usually 1%; the New Jersey suburbs have no local income tax. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
Your yearly budget: Philadelphia vs Los Angeles
On a $90,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $54,796 a year in Philadelphia and $61,490 in Los Angeles if you rent: $6,694 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $65,972 and $101,338 ($35,366 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | PhiladelphiaBefore | Los AngelesAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $90,000, single filer | $24,043 | $23,150 | -$893 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,742 | $1,930 | +$188 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $1,225 | +$70 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,188 | $2,977 | +$789 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,864 | $6,840 | -$24 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $18,804 | $25,368 | +$6,564 |
| Total if you rent | $54,796 | $61,490 | +$6,694 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $23,836 | $57,732 | +$33,896 |
| Property tax median home | $5,016 | $6,011 | +$995 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,128 | $1,473 | +$345 |
| Total if you buy | $65,972 | $101,338 | +$35,366 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $14,910 a year in Philadelphia and $22,628 in Los Angeles (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Who moves from Philadelphia to Los Angeles
About 1,467 households (1,893 people) moved from the Philadelphia metro area to the Los Angeles metro area in 2022–2023, making Los Angeles the #8 destination for people leaving Philadelphia among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,142 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $96,746.
Cost to move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $1,710–$8,460 |
| Moving container | $2,630–$7,820 |
| Full-service movers | $4,140–$21,650 |
Shipping a car instead of driving
Car shipping: $1,560–$2,240
Shipping a sedan from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on an open carrier costs about $1,560–$2,240, typically 5–10 days in transit over about 2,810 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Natural hazard risk: Philadelphia vs Los Angeles
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the Philadelphia area among the highest (score 94.5) and the Los Angeles area among the highest (score 100), on a 0–100 national percentile scale. Expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $339 vs $722 per resident.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Los Angeles cheaper than Philadelphia?
Overall prices in the Los Angeles area are 10.7% higher than in Philadelphia (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $2,114 vs $1,567 a month, and the median home is $908,500 vs $375,100.
What salary do I need in Los Angeles to match $100,000 in Philadelphia?
About $112,100, after 2026 federal taxes and local prices. Uses Pennsylvania and California state income tax.
How much does it cost to move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 2,810 miles: roughly $1,710–$8,460 with a rental truck, $2,630–$7,820 with a container, or $4,140–$21,650 with full-service movers.
How many people move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,467 households (1,893 people) moved from the Philadelphia metro area to the Los Angeles metro area, and 1,142 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Philadelphia move
- Philadelphia to New York 10,894 households
- Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. 2,932 households
- Philadelphia to Allentown 2,110 households
- Philadelphia to Baltimore 2,058 households
- Philadelphia to Miami 1,890 households
- Philadelphia to Trenton 1,659 households
- Philadelphia to Boston 1,495 households
- Philadelphia to Tampa 1,429 households