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Los Angeles vs Miami

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Los Angeles, CA vs Miami, FL at a glance — Miami, FL is 3% cheaper than Los Angeles, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,600/mo versus $2,400/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Miami, FL, you'd need

$72,884 / year

Miami, FL is 3% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Miami, FL vs Los Angeles, CA)

  • Housing-9%
  • Food & groceries+4%
  • Transport-10%
  • Utilities+9%
  • Healthcare+3%
  • Goods & services+3%

◎ How Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Los Angeles, CAMiami, FL

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Los Angeles, CAMiami, FL
Cost of living
Overall cost index115112
Housing152138
Food9599
Transport114103
Utilities8896
Healthcare9396
Goods & services100103
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$2,400/mo$2,600/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,800/mo$1,900/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$4,800/mo$5,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$9,500$7,000
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$868$893
Inexpensive meal$20$20
Monthly transit pass$100$112
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%37%
VAT / sales tax0%0%
Social security (employee)7.7%7.7%
Corporate tax21%21%
Capital gains20%20%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$4,300/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓$1,257/mo✓
GDP per capita$90,027✓$90,027✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyNativeNative
Coworking spaces12070
Time zoneUTC-8UTC-5
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)6159
Safety index4245
Healthcare index7876
Pollution index6045
Internet speed200 Mbps200 Mbps
Walkability6860
Public transport5550
Family-friendly5558
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$480/mo$470/mo
Life expectancy79 yr✓79 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+15 °C+20 °C
July avg+23 °C+29 °C
Sunny days / year284248
Rainfall / year380 mm1,570 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Los Angeles vs Miami — in your currency

Los AngelesMiami
1-bed rent, city centre$2,400$2,600
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,800$1,900
Inexpensive meal$20$20
Monthly transit pass$100$112
Utilities (monthly)$160$180

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Los Angeles

Endless sun, entertainment and sprawl — you'll want a car, and traffic is a way of life.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-8
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
42/100
Climate
❄ 15°C · ☀ 23°C · 284 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Silver Lake · Santa Monica · DTLA

Good to know before you move to Miami

No state income tax, beaches and a booming Latin-American business scene — humid, and rents have soared.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
45/100
Climate
❄ 20°C · ☀ 29°C · 248 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Brickell · Wynwood · Coconut Grove

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Los Angeles to Miami: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Los Angeles to Miami, your cost of living will be roughly 3% cheaper. Miami’s cost-of-living index is 112 versus 115 for Los Angeles (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Los Angeles cheaper than Miami?

Miami is about 3% cheaper than Los Angeles overall — its cost-of-living index is 112 versus 115 for Los Angeles.

Which is more expensive, Los Angeles or Miami?

Los Angeles is more expensive than Miami. Its cost-of-living index is 115 vs 112 (US = 100) — about 3% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Los Angeles or Miami?

Rent is cheaper in Los Angeles — about $2,400/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,600 in Miami.

How much do you need to earn in Miami to live like in Los Angeles?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Los Angeles is worth about $72,884 in Miami. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Los Angeles or Miami?

Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.

◷ More comparisons from Los Angeles

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.