City guide · California
Moving to or from Los Angeles
Living costs, weather, taxes and the routes we price, with a modelled price for each. Then get written estimates for your own move.
Los Angeles at a glance
- Cost of living index
- 148 (US = 100)
- Typical 2-bedroom rent
- $2,900 a month
- Average high (yearly)
- 75°F
- Average low (yearly)
- 58°F
- Precipitation
- 14.3 in a year
- State income tax (top rate)
- 13.3%
- Sales tax (state and local average)
- 8.85%
Weather figures are yearly averages. Sources are listed at the foot of the page.
What a move to or from Los Angeles costs
The routes we price from and to Los Angeles, each with the modelled price for a 2-bedroom home. Open one for the distance, timing and what changes between the two cities.
Popular routes from Los Angeles
Popular routes to Los Angeles
A modelled range from our cost model (road distance, typical volume for the home size and a season factor), not a quote. Written estimates come from licensed movers through the 8 Top Movers moving team.
Related research for Los Angeles
What to plan for in Los Angeles
Thinking about moving to or from Los Angeles, CA? Here is the practical picture. The cost-of-living index is 148 (100 is the US average), a typical two-bedroom rents for about $2,900 a month, and across the year the average daily high is 75°F with an average low of 58°F. California's top state income tax rate is 13.3%, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 8.85%. This guide covers living costs, weather and timing, utilities, and the routes we price, each with a modelled price.
Cost of living in Los Angeles
Los Angeles's cost-of-living index is 148 against a national baseline of 100, and a two-bedroom rental runs roughly $2,900 a month. California's top state income tax rate is 13.3%, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 8.85%. Build your first-year budget around these figures, not just the cost of the move.
Weather and timing
Across the year, Los Angeles's average daily high is 75°F and the average low is 58°F. These are yearly averages, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder. Expect about 14.3 inches of precipitation a year. Weather is moderate most of the year; any off-peak month works well. Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.
Setting up utilities in Los Angeles
Line up your utilities before move day. In the Los Angeles–Long Beach area the main providers include LADWP, SoCalGas. Schedule electricity and gas to start the day before you arrive so you never walk into a dark home.
Leaving California, or staying in it
A mover that carries your things across a state line must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and have a USDOT number, which you can look up on FMCSA's website before you book. The rules for a move that stays inside California are set by the state and vary, so ask the mover which state licence or permit, if any, covers your move. Either way, get the estimate in writing and make sure the company name on it matches the registration.
How to check any mover on FMCSA
Before you book, check the mover on the public federal record. It takes a few minutes and works for any company, whoever sent you the estimate.
Ask for the USDOT number
A mover that carries household goods across a state line needs a USDOT number from FMCSA. It belongs on the written estimate.
Look it up on SAFER
Enter the number in FMCSA's SAFER company snapshot. The legal name there should match the company on your estimate.
Check the operating status
The snapshot shows whether the company is authorized to operate. If it is not, or the name does not match, keep looking.
Know your rights
FMCSA's Protect Your Move pages explain estimates, valuation and claims. For a move inside one state, also check that state's mover licence.
Our top choice list
Our top picks and affiliated movers from our network. Each one is listed on 8 Top Movers, whose moving team handles the estimate requests from this site.
- Global Elegance Moving and LogisticsBased in Boca Raton, FL
- TapMoveBased in Sacramento, CA
- LoadRansBased in Vernon, CA
- Bristol Moving and StorageBased in Spotswood, NJ
- Hudson Van LinesBased in Randolph, NJ
- Royal Van LinesBased in West Milford, NJ
- Pacific Moving and StorageBased in Ladera Ranch, CA
- Apex Van LinesBased in Kirkland, WA
Global Elegance Moving and Logistics shares ownership with 8 Top Movers.
We may be compensated by movers in our network. Nobody pays for placement.
Questions about moving to Los Angeles
Is Los Angeles expensive to live in?
Los Angeles has a cost-of-living index of 148 (100 is the US average), with a typical two-bedroom rent around $2,900 a month.
What's the weather like in Los Angeles?
Across the year, the average daily high is 75°F and the average low is 58°F, with roughly 14.3 inches of precipitation. Those are yearly averages from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder.
When is the best time to move to Los Angeles?
Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.
How do I get a real price for a move to or from Los Angeles?
Ask for written estimates. When you ask for estimates here, the 8 Top Movers moving team gets rates from the licensed movers in its network and brings back written estimates. You never pay us, and asking is never a booking.
Sources
- MERIC / BestPlaces metro cost index, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (metro), 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, retrieved 2026-01-15
- State public utility commission service-territory maps, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- Tax Foundation, 2025 State Tax Data, retrieved 2026-01-15
Moving to or from Los Angeles?
Tell us about your move once. The 8 Top Movers moving team gets rates from the licensed movers in its network and brings back written estimates. You never pay us, and asking is never a booking.