City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.2% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $113,200 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Spokane, WA ($124,085 → $106,991), while prices change by −11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,359 in Spokane | $113,174 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Los Angeles → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,044 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,068 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,974 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,991 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,432 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $98,800 | $111,816 (+9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $130,690 | $147,908 (−8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $86,350 | $97,726 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $111,750 | $126,472 (−6.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.