US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
CA flag
Vancouver

Canada

Climate

Los Angeles logs 65 hot days a year to Vancouver's 1 — Vancouver wins by 64. Los Angeles also leads on frost days by 22.

Los AngelesVancouver
Sunny days
315161
Hot days
651
Frost days
022
Rain days
24170
Snow days
05
Outdoor dinner months
6/125/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s1.9 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,016
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo50 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.26.9

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

Vancouver

Feels-like °C

0
1
5
9
14
17
23
22
16
9
2
0

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Vancouver is $1090/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Vancouver's $3,261/mo — Vancouver comes in $1,090 cheaper each month, roughly 33% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

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

Vancouver

$3,261

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,547Comfort $6,069
Cheaper than 60%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

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

2.0/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesVancouver
Flights
WalkabilityTransitCyclingMotorbikeFlightsAirport
Vancouver leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Vancouver's 2.6, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.2/5
vs
2.6/5
Los AngelesVancouver
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
TheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Vancouver's nature & outdoors score of 5.0 sits well above Los Angeles's 4.0, with the biggest gap on lakes & rivers. Los Angeles still holds an edge on surfing & watersports.

4.0/5
vs
5.0/5
Los AngelesVancouver
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingDivingSkiingClimbing
Vancouver leads

Safety

Vancouver's safety score is ~1.6× Los Angeles's — in the middle of the scale, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on road safety.

1.8/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesVancouver
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Property CrimeEarthquakeWildfire
Vancouver leads

Career

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

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

Social & Community

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

3.6/5
vs
3.9/5
Los AngelesVancouver
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Vancouver leads

Food & Dining

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

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

Family

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

4.0/5
vs
3.9/5
Los AngelesVancouver
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Los Angeles scores 2.8 vs Vancouver's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality. Vancouver still holds an edge on public healthcare quality.

2.8/5
vs
2.0/5
Los AngelesVancouver
Private Healthcare
Los Angeles leads

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Vancouver's 6.0 µg/m³ (good) — Vancouver breathes ~56% cleaner air (7.7 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Vancouver

13.8µg/m³
6.0µg/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 Vancouver (2.2M) are 6.1x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Vancouver the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 6.9x more ground.

6.5x

Los Angeles is roughly 6.5x the scale of Vancouver

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
6.5x
CA flagVancouver
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M6.1x
2.CA flagVancouver2.2M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²6.9x
2.CA flagVancouver649 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
38 km30 km

CA flagVancouver

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Vancouver

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Vancouver?
Vancouver is approximately $1,090 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Vancouver averages $3,261/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Vancouver?
Sunny days: 315 vs 161 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,016 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 50 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 1 d — Vancouver lower Frost days: 0 vs 22 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 170 d — Los Angeles lower Snowy days: 0 vs 5 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Vancouver safer?
Vancouver scores higher on safety. Los Angeles rates 1.8/5 while Vancouver rates 2.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Vancouver?
Los Angeles and Vancouver are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Vancouver 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 Vancouver 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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