US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Portland

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 65 hot days a year to Portland's 31 — Portland wins by 34. Los Angeles also leads on frost days by 25.

Los AngelesPortland
Sunny days
315175
Hot days
6531
Frost days
025
Rain days
24153
Snow days
01
Outdoor dinner months
6/124/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s2.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,238
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo66 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.28.1

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

Portland

Feels-like °C

1
3
7
11
16
21
27
26
19
13
5
2

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Portland is $738/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Portland's $3,613/mo — Portland comes in $738 cheaper each month, roughly 20% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

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

Portland

$3,613

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,768Comfort $5,768
Top 67%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Portland scores 3.6 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability. Los Angeles still holds an edge on flight connectivity.

2.0/5
vs
3.6/5
Los AngelesPortland
Flights
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport
Portland leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Portland's 3.9, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.2/5
vs
3.9/5
Los AngelesPortland
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
HistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Portland's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Los Angeles's 4.0, with the biggest gap on forest access. Los Angeles still holds an edge on surfing & watersports.

4.0/5
vs
4.8/5
Los AngelesPortland
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingDivingSkiingClimbing
Portland leads

Safety

Portland's safety score is ~1.3× Los Angeles's — below average, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on road safety.

1.8/5
vs
2.3/5
Los AngelesPortland
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Street SafetyProperty CrimeEarthquakeWildfire
Portland leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Portland's 3.8, with the biggest gap on economic scale.

4.4/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesPortland
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Portland's social & community score of 3.9 sits well above Los Angeles's 3.6, with the biggest gap on street atmosphere. Los Angeles still holds an edge on expat-first community.

3.6/5
vs
3.9/5
Los AngelesPortland
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Portland leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Portland's 4.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on food delivery. Portland still holds an edge on vegan & vegetarian options.

4.8/5
vs
4.6/5
Los AngelesPortland
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

Los Angeles and Portland score neck-and-neck on family (4.0 vs 3.9, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
3.9/5
Los AngelesPortland
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

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

2.8/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesPortland
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Portland's 6.6 µg/m³ (good) — Portland breathes ~52% cleaner air (7.2 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Portland

13.8µg/m³
6.6µg/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 Portland (1.8M) are 7.3x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Portland the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 5.1x more ground.

6.1x

Los Angeles is roughly 6.1x the scale of Portland

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
6.1x
US flagPortland
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M7.3x
2.US flagPortland1.8M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²5.1x
2.US flagPortland877 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
51 km40 km

US flagPortland

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Portland

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Portland?
Portland is approximately $738 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Portland averages $3,613/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Portland?
Sunny days: 315 vs 175 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,238 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 66 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 31 d — Portland lower Frost days: 0 vs 25 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 153 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Portland safer?
Portland scores higher on safety. Los Angeles rates 1.8/5 while Portland rates 2.3/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Portland?
Los Angeles and Portland are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Portland 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 Portland 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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