US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Pittsburgh

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 65 hot days a year to Pittsburgh's 28 — Pittsburgh wins by 37. Los Angeles also leads on frost days by 83.

Los AngelesPittsburgh
Sunny days
315170
Hot days
6528
Frost days
083
Rain days
24145
Snow days
011
Outdoor dinner months
6/124/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s2.8 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,027
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo72 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.27.2

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

Pittsburgh

Feels-like °C

-6
-3
4
11
18
25
28
26
21
11
2
-4

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Pittsburgh is $1167/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Pittsburgh's $3,184/mo — Pittsburgh comes in $1,167 cheaper each month, roughly 37% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

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

Pittsburgh

$3,184

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,454Comfort $4,887
Cheaper than 62%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Pittsburgh scores 2.6 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on airport accessibility. Los Angeles still holds an edge on motorbike/scooter efficiency.

2.0/5
vs
2.6/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
Flights
FlightsAirport
Pittsburgh leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Pittsburgh's 3.8, with the biggest gap on arts & culture. Pittsburgh still holds an edge on history museums.

4.2/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

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

4.0/5
vs
4.0/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCamping

Safety

Pittsburgh's safety score is ~1.7× Los Angeles's — in the middle of the scale, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on wildfire safety.

1.8/5
vs
3.1/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Pittsburgh leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Pittsburgh's 4.1, with the biggest gap on economic scale.

4.4/5
vs
4.1/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Pittsburgh's social & community score of 3.8 sits well above Los Angeles's 3.6, with the biggest gap on local-first community. Los Angeles still holds an edge on expat-first community.

3.6/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Pittsburgh leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Pittsburgh's 3.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

4.8/5
vs
3.2/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs Pittsburgh's 3.5 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on yoga studios. Pittsburgh still holds an edge on playgrounds.

4.0/5
vs
3.5/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

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

2.8/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesPittsburgh
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Pittsburgh's 8.9 µg/m³ (good) — Pittsburgh breathes ~36% cleaner air (4.9 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Pittsburgh

13.8µg/m³
8.9µg/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 Pittsburgh (491K) are 27x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Pittsburgh the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 18x more ground.

22x

Los Angeles is roughly 22x the scale of Pittsburgh

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
22x
US flagPittsburgh
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M27x
2.US flagPittsburgh491K1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²18x
2.US flagPittsburgh245 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
24 km22 km

US flagPittsburgh

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Pittsburgh

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is approximately $1,167 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Pittsburgh averages $3,184/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh?
Sunny days: 315 vs 170 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,027 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 72 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 28 d — Pittsburgh lower Frost days: 0 vs 83 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 145 d — Los Angeles lower Snowy days: 0 vs 11 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Pittsburgh safer?
Pittsburgh scores higher on safety. Los Angeles rates 1.8/5 while Pittsburgh rates 3.1/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Pittsburgh?
Los Angeles and Pittsburgh are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh 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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