To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $80,000 in Memphis — a $20,000 saving per year.
Estimated monthly spending for a middle-income household, adjusted by each metro's BEA price level.
The salary you'd need in Memphis to maintain the same purchasing power as each income level in Los Angeles, using the BEA price ratio of 0.800.
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $40,000 | −$10,000 |
| $75,000 | $60,000 | −$15,000 |
| $100,000 | $80,000 | −$20,000 |
| $150,000 | $120,000 | −$30,000 |
| $200,000 | $160,000 | −$40,000 |
Moving from Los Angeles, CA to Memphis, TN means your everyday costs are cheaper by roughly 20.0%. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis measures Los Angeles's overall price level at 115.5 and Memphis's at 92.4, where 100 represents the national average. In practical terms, a household spending $5,943 per month in Los Angeles would spend about $4,687 for the equivalent lifestyle in Memphis — a swing of $1,256 every month, or $15,072 per year.
Housing is the decisive factor. Estimated monthly housing runs $2,686 in Los Angeles against $1,813 in Memphis. Because rent and mortgage costs vary far more between metros than groceries or utilities, the housing line alone accounts for most of the 20.0% gap.
For salary negotiation or a remote-work relocation, the key number is the equivalent salary. A $100,000 income in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $80,000 in Memphis. Looked at the other way, $100,000 in Memphis is worth about $125,000 in Los Angeles terms. Use the Cost of Living Calculator to plug in your own expenses.
Price levels don't include income tax, which can significantly swing your real take-home pay — especially between CA and TN.
Memphis is 20.0% cheaper than Los Angeles overall. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2023), Los Angeles has a price level of 115.5 versus 92.4 for Memphis, where 100 equals the national average.
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary in Los Angeles, you would need about $80,000 in Memphis — a difference of $20,000 per year.
Estimated monthly housing runs about $2,686 in Los Angeles versus $1,813 in Memphis. Housing is the single biggest driver of the cost-of-living gap between the two metros.
Sources & methodology
Price levels use the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for metropolitan areas (2023, the most recent metro-level release). Los Angeles maps to the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA; Memphis maps to the Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA. Category spending baselines come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. Category-level figures are modeled estimates and are illustrative; actual costs vary by household. This is a planning tool, not financial advice.
