How Much Does Los Angeles Cost per Day
A full breakdown of Los Angeles prices: daily budgets by tier, every itemised cost from the guide, and where the money actually goes.
The short answer
Budget travellers in Los Angeles spend around USD 135 a day. Mid-range travel runs closer to USD 325, and a splurge day lands around USD 710. Per person per day in USD, no conversion needed since LA prices in dollars. These figures exclude flights.
Daily cost breakdown
- Stay
- Food
- Transport
- Activities
| Tier | Stay | Food | Transport | Activities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | USD 70 | USD 35 | USD 15 | USD 15 | USD 135 |
| Mid-range | USD 180 | USD 70 | USD 45 | USD 30 | USD 325 |
| Splurge | USD 400 | USD 150 | USD 100 | USD 60 | USD 710 |
A mid-range day: USD 180 hotel in Santa Monica or Hollywood, USD 45 rental car plus one day of hotel parking, USD 12 coffee and breakfast burrito, USD 20 taco truck lunch, USD 25 LACMA or Getty (free) admission plus parking, USD 60 dinner with a drink in Silver Lake or the Arts District. Comes to roughly USD 325 without souvenirs.
Every priced item in this guide
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Griffith Observatory | free |
| Hollywood Sign viewpoints | free |
| Hollywood Walk of Fame | free |
| Venice Beach and Boardwalk | free |
| Tacos and street-cart food | USD 2-4 per taco |
| Korean barbecue | USD 30-50 per person |
| Korean fried chicken and late-night dining | USD 20-35 |
| In-N-Out | USD 6-10 |
| Thai food | USD 14-22 |
| Japanese ramen and izakaya | USD 15-25 |
| Birria tacos and quesabirria | USD 3-5 per taco |
What I actually paid
- The sales tax and tip stacking genuinely adds up faster than people expect. A USD 60 dinner becomes closer to USD 80 once tax and a real 20% tip land on the bill, and neither shows up on the menu. Budget for it rather than being surprised at the table.
How to spend less
- Griffith Observatory and the Getty Center are both free, and each is worth a half day on its own without spending anything but parking
- The Metro daily fare cap is USD 5, three taps and every ride after that is free that day, worth it if your day's plans sit along the E Line or the B/D subway
- Street parking is free after 6pm and on Sundays in a lot of commercial districts, check the posted signs rather than defaulting to a paid lot
- Taco trucks and stands in Boyle Heights, East LA, and along Sunset beat sit-down restaurant prices for better food, often USD 2-4 a taco