US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
San Antonio

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 0 frost days a year to San Antonio's 5 — Los Angeles wins by 5. Los Angeles also leads on hot days by 104.

Los AngelesSan Antonio
Sunny days
315244
Hot days
65169
Frost days
05
Rain days
2498
Snow days
01
Outdoor dinner months
6/125/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s3.0 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,640
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo153 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

San Antonio

Feels-like °C

13
13
19
22
29
34
35
36
33
25
17
15

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

San Antonio is $1196/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against San Antonio's $3,155/mo — San Antonio comes in $1,196 cheaper each month, roughly 38% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

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

San Antonio

$3,155

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,400Comfort $4,823
Cheaper than 67%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, San Antonio scores 2.2 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on car efficiency. Los Angeles still holds an edge on flight connectivity.

2.0/5
vs
2.2/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
Flights
Car EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
San Antonio leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above San Antonio's 3.4, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.2/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
HistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Los Angeles's nature & outdoors score of 4.0 sits well above San Antonio's 3.0, with the biggest gap on surfing & watersports.

4.0/5
vs
3.0/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
ForestGreen AreasRunningCamping
Los Angeles leads

Safety

San Antonio's safety score is ~1.2× Los Angeles's — below average, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on wildfire safety. Los Angeles still holds an edge on flooding safety.

1.8/5
vs
2.2/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Property CrimeRoadFlooding
San Antonio leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above San Antonio's 2.9, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

4.4/5
vs
2.9/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

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

3.6/5
vs
3.7/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
San Antonio leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs San Antonio's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

4.8/5
vs
3.0/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs San Antonio's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools.

4.0/5
vs
2.6/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

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

2.8/5
vs
2.1/5
Los AngelesSan Antonio
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Los Angeles leads

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus San Antonio's 9.2 µg/m³ (good) — San Antonio breathes ~33% cleaner air (4.6 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

San Antonio

13.8µg/m³
9.2µg/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 San Antonio (1.5M) are 8.9x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, San Antonio the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 7.0x more ground.

7.9x

Los Angeles is roughly 7.9x the scale of San Antonio

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
7.9x
US flagSan Antonio
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M8.9x
2.US flagSan Antonio1.5M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²7.0x
2.US flagSan Antonio640 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
42 km31 km

US flagSan Antonio

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs San Antonio

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or San Antonio?
San Antonio is approximately $1,196 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while San Antonio averages $3,155/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and San Antonio?
Sunny days: 315 vs 244 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,640 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 153 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 169 d — Los Angeles lower Frost days: 0 vs 5 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 98 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or San Antonio 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 San Antonio?
Los Angeles and San Antonio are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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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Los Angeles vs San Antonio: Cost, Climate, Safety