At a glance
Los Angeles is 8.3% more expensive than Minneapolis on BEA’s overall price index, and median rent is $623 a month higher in Los Angeles.
Price parity is 113.6 in Los Angeles and 104.8 in Minneapolis (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $2,063 and $1,440 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: Los Angeles vs. Minneapolis
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, Los Angeles has an all-items metro price level about 8.3% higher than Minneapolis relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. Los Angeles has a $623 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than Minneapolis. The two measures point in the same direction for these metros, but they cover different baskets and populations.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Official metro indicator | Los Angeles | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 113.6 | 104.8 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $2,063 | $1,440 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $6 | ± $9 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $95,958 ± $378 | $99,833 ± $641 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 20.8% | 10.8% |
These figures cover the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in Los Angeles is worth in Minneapolis
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 113.6 for Los Angeles and 104.8 for Minneapolis, so matching on that index takes about 7.7% less gross pay in Minneapolis than in Los Angeles. Twelve months of median gross rent is 25.8% of median household income in Los Angeles and 17.3% in Minneapolis (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Gross pay in Los Angeles | Same index value in Minneapolis | Gross pay in Minneapolis | Same index value in Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,150 | $50,000 | $54,171 |
| $75,000 | $69,225 | $75,000 | $81,256 |
| $100,000 | $92,301 | $100,000 | $108,342 |
| $150,000 | $138,451 | $150,000 | $162,513 |
| $200,000 | $184,601 | $200,000 | $216,684 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $623 a month ($7,476 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between Los Angeles and Minneapolis?
80 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | Los Angeles median | Minneapolis median | Los Angeles adjusted | Minneapolis adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $37,700 | $36,670 | $33,197 | $34,983 |
| General and Operations Managers | $125,830 | $103,570 | $110,799 | $98,806 |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $103,040 | $119,367 | $98,300 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $48,840 | $49,480 | $43,006 | $47,204 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,390 | $47,320 | $37,326 | $45,143 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,100 | $48,790 | $42,354 | $46,546 |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $130,920 | $141,697 | $124,897 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $86,500 | $83,088 | $82,521 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $74,490 | $78,470 | $65,592 | $74,860 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,340 | $64,200 | $53,132 | $61,247 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $53,550 | $54,080 | $47,153 | $51,592 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $56,520 | $60,470 | $49,768 | $57,688 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 1 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 11 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 80 occupations with a reported median in both metros, Los Angeles has the higher price-adjusted median in 29 and Minneapolis in 51. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in Los Angeles is 4.1% lower than in Minneapolis.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | Los Angeles adjusted | Minneapolis adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $62,616 | $96,955 | Minneapolis | 54.8% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $86,619 | $59,911 | Los Angeles | 44.6% |
| Loan Officers | $70,761 | $97,499 | Minneapolis | 37.8% |
| Sales Managers | $116,523 | $150,827 | Minneapolis | 29.4% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $73,076 | $93,406 | Minneapolis | 27.8% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $45,709 | $57,974 | Minneapolis | 26.8% |
| Registered Nurses | $119,367 | $98,300 | Los Angeles | 21.4% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $37,326 | $45,143 | Minneapolis | 20.9% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in Los Angeles or Minneapolis
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 73 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | Los Angeles per 10,000 | Minneapolis per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 52.2 | 26.9 | Los Angeles | 1.9× |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 50.8 | 26.9 | Los Angeles | 1.9× |
| Medical Assistants | 77.1 | 47.9 | Los Angeles | 1.6× |
| Industrial Engineers | 22.2 | 90.5 | Minneapolis | 4.1× |
| Machinists | 15.2 | 61.0 | Minneapolis | 4.0× |
| Construction Laborers | 42.1 | 112.3 | Minneapolis | 2.7× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between Los Angeles and Minneapolis: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.