US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Philadelphia

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 0 frost days a year to Philadelphia's 66 — Los Angeles wins by 66. Los Angeles also leads on sunny days by 111.

Los AngelesPhiladelphia
Sunny days
315204
Hot days
6551
Frost days
066
Rain days
24115
Snow days
04
Outdoor dinner months
6/125/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s2.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,310
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo124 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.27.5

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

Philadelphia

Feels-like °C

-4
1
5
12
19
27
31
28
22
15
5
-2

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Philadelphia is $442/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Philadelphia's $3,909/mo — Philadelphia comes in $442 cheaper each month, roughly 11% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

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

Philadelphia

$3,909

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,058Comfort $5,883
Top 80%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Philadelphia scores 3.4 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability.

2.0/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
Flights
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlightsAirport
Philadelphia leads

Culture

Los Angeles and Philadelphia score neck-and-neck on culture (4.2 vs 4.1, 0–5 scale).

4.2/5
vs
4.1/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Los Angeles and Philadelphia score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 4.2, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
4.2/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingDivingSkiing
Philadelphia leads

Safety

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

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

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Philadelphia's 4.2, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

4.4/5
vs
4.2/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Los Angeles and Philadelphia score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.6 vs 3.7, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.7/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereAdmin English Support
Philadelphia leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Philadelphia's 4.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

4.8/5
vs
4.4/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs Philadelphia's 3.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on tennis/pickleball. Philadelphia still holds an edge on playgrounds.

4.0/5
vs
3.6/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Los Angeles scores 2.8 vs Philadelphia's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.8/5
vs
2.1/5
Los AngelesPhiladelphia
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Los Angeles leads

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Philadelphia's 7.8 µg/m³ (good) — Philadelphia breathes ~43% cleaner air (6.0 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Philadelphia

13.8µg/m³
7.8µg/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 Philadelphia (2.3M) are 5.9x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Philadelphia the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 6.9x more ground.

6.4x

Los Angeles is roughly 6.4x the scale of Philadelphia

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
6.4x
US flagPhiladelphia
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M5.9x
2.US flagPhiladelphia2.3M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²6.9x
2.US flagPhiladelphia654 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
38 km38 km

US flagPhiladelphia

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Philadelphia

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is approximately $442 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Philadelphia averages $3,909/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Philadelphia?
Sunny days: 315 vs 204 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,310 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 124 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 51 d — Philadelphia lower Frost days: 0 vs 66 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 115 d — Los Angeles lower Snowy days: 0 vs 4 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia?
Los Angeles and Philadelphia are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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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