USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Irvine, CA vs. Los Angeles, CA

Median rent is $2,893 a month in Irvine, CA and $1,879 in Los Angeles, CA. Household income is $129,647 against $80,366. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Irvine, CA buys what $102,553 buys in Los Angeles, CA
+$2,553 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$2,893 $1,879 -35.1%
Median household income Annual
$129,647 $80,366 -38.0%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$1,115,400 $879,500 -21.1%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
26.8% 28.1% 1.3 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
112.6 115.5 +2.6%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$115,700 $75,200 -35.0%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$3,241 $2,009 -38.0%
Population City proper
308,160 3,857,897 +1151.9%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Irvine
$100,000 $102,553 +2.6%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,879
Los Angeles, CA · 54.0% below Irvine, CA
Higher household income
$129,647
Irvine, CA · 61.3% above Los Angeles, CA
Same standard of living
$102,553
$100,000 in Irvine, CA needs $102,553 in Los Angeles, CA
Price level gap
2.9 points
112.6 in CA against 115.5 in CA
Rent burden gap
1.3 points
Los Angeles, CA versus Irvine, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
88.8%
Irvine, CA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Irvine, CA vs Los Angeles, CA: frequently asked questions

Is Los Angeles, CA more expensive than Irvine, CA?

Yes. Prices in Los Angeles, CA are about 2.6% higher than in Irvine, CA: a regional price level of 115.5 against 112.6, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Los Angeles, CA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Irvine, CA?

About $102,600. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (112.6 in Irvine, CA, 115.5 in Los Angeles, CA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Irvine, CA or Los Angeles, CA?

The median gross rent is $2,893 a month in Irvine, CA and $1,879 in Los Angeles, CA, a difference of $1,014 a month or $12,168 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Irvine, CA or Los Angeles, CA?

The median household income is $129,647 in Irvine, CA and $80,366 in Los Angeles, CA. Rent takes 26.8% of the median income in Irvine, CA and 28.1% in Los Angeles, CA.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Los Angeles, CA?

About $75,200 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,879 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $115,700 in Irvine, CA.

More comparisons with Irvine, CA

More comparisons with Los Angeles, CA

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Irvine, CA converted into Los Angeles, CA at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Irvine, CA · Los Angeles, CA