US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Miami

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 6 outdoor-dinner months a year to Miami's 8 — Miami wins by 2. Los Angeles also leads on sunny days by 48.

Los AngelesMiami
Sunny days
315267
Hot days
6574
Frost days
00
Rain days
24191
Outdoor dinner months
6/128/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s3.7 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,755
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo192 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.210.1

Los Angeles

Feels-like °C

14
15
16
21
23
27
30
31
28
25
18
14

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Miami

Feels-like °C

20
22
25
26
30
31
32
32
32
28
24
21

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Miami is $176/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Miami's $4,175/mo — Miami comes in $176 cheaper each month, roughly 4% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,394Comfort $6,993
Top 89%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Miami

$4,175

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,244Comfort $7,246
Top 84%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

Los Angeles and Miami score neck-and-neck on mobility (2.0 vs 2.0, 0–5 scale).

2.0/5
vs
2.0/5
Los AngelesMiami
Flights
FlightsAirport

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Miami's 3.8, with the biggest gap on live music venues.

4.2/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesMiami
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Los Angeles and Miami score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 4.0, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
4.0/5
Los AngelesMiami
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
SeaLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfingDiving

Safety

Los Angeles and Miami score neck-and-neck on safety (1.8 vs 1.8, 0–5 scale).

1.8/5
vs
1.8/5
Los AngelesMiami
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadFlooding

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Miami's 4.0, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

4.4/5
vs
4.0/5
Los AngelesMiami
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Miami's social & community score of 3.8 sits well above Los Angeles's 3.6, with the biggest gap on urban energy.

3.6/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesMiami
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereAdmin English Support
Miami leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Miami's 4.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

4.8/5
vs
4.2/5
Los AngelesMiami
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs Miami's 3.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities.

4.0/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesMiami
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

Los Angeles and Miami score neck-and-neck on healthcare (2.8 vs 2.8, 0–5 scale).

2.8/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesMiami
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Miami's 7.3 µg/m³ (good) — Miami breathes ~47% cleaner air (6.5 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Miami

13.8µg/m³
7.3µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Los Angeles (13.5M) and Miami (5.7M) are 2.4x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Miami the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 1.6x more ground.

1.9x

Los Angeles is roughly 1.9x the scale of Miami

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
1.9x
US flagMiami
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M2.4x
2.US flagMiami5.7M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²1.6x
2.US flagMiami2,784 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
46 km150 km

US flagMiami

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Miami

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Miami?
Miami is approximately $176 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Miami averages $4,175/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Miami?
Sunny days: 315 vs 267 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,755 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 192 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 74 d — Los Angeles lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 24 vs 191 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Miami safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 1.8/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Miami?
Los Angeles and Miami are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Miami is generally more affordable, while Los Angeles may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Los Angeles and Miami stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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