Rent is the single biggest factor in where you move in LA, and the spread is wide — the same one-bedroom can cost about $1,700 more a month a few miles away. Below are the latest published averages, area by area, so you can set a realistic budget before you tour.
Average rent in Los Angeles by apartment size
| Apartment | Average rent |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,971 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,547 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,364 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,365 |
| All sizes | $2,758 |
The average apartment in the data is 810 sq ft, and the citywide average was down 0.26% from a year earlier.
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Rent by neighborhood: studio, 1BR and 2BR
Sorted from the most to the least expensive one-bedroom. Independent cities (Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Long Beach) and unincorporated Marina del Rey are included because they're where many LA renters look next.
| Area | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | All sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marina del Rey | $2,709 | $3,763 | $5,161 | $4,318 |
| Santa Monica | $2,655 | $3,452 | $4,483 | $3,637 |
| West Hollywood | $2,301 | $3,297 | $4,568 | $3,186 |
| Culver City | — | $3,208 | $3,971 | $3,532 |
| Pasadena | $2,671 | $2,969 | $3,751 | $3,228 |
| Venice | $2,789 | $2,934 | $3,781 | $3,376 |
| Echo Park | $2,413 | $2,788 | $4,644 | $3,230 |
| Downtown LA | $2,194 | $2,777 | $3,826 | $2,925 |
| Atwater Village | $2,059 | $2,639 | — | $2,441 |
| Burbank | $2,048 | $2,598 | $3,549 | $2,936 |
| Glendale | $2,125 | $2,553 | $3,464 | $2,909 |
| Studio City | $1,876 | $2,540 | $3,229 | $2,698 |
| Silver Lake | $2,126 | $2,467 | $2,783 | $2,455 |
| Long Beach | $2,056 | $2,445 | $3,097 | $2,699 |
| Los Feliz | $1,973 | $2,414 | $3,302 | $2,554 |
| North Hollywood | $2,162 | $2,288 | $2,913 | $2,489 |
| Sherman Oaks | $1,792 | $2,258 | $3,045 | $2,540 |
| Koreatown | $1,707 | $2,208 | $3,027 | $2,219 |
| Highland Park | — | $2,042 | $2,539 | $2,185 |
| Los Angeles (city) | $1,971 | $2,547 | $3,364 | $2,758 |
Source: RentCafe average rents (Yardi Matrix data for buildings with 50+ units); pages updated August 31, 2026 (Burbank and Atwater Village September 2, Highland Park August 20), checked September 25, 2026. “—” means RentCafe publishes no average for that size.
More LA neighborhoods: average rent, all sizes
RentCafe also publishes an all-sizes average for dozens of smaller City of LA neighborhoods (August 31, 2026):
- Westside: Playa Vista $4,079 · Sawtelle $3,937 · Westwood $3,721 · Brentwood $3,648 · Del Rey $3,350 · Westchester $2,992 · Palms $2,875 · West Los Angeles $2,820 · Mar Vista $2,704
- Central: Beverly Grove $3,669 · Fairfax $3,555 · Mid-Wilshire $3,235 · Larchmont $3,138 · Hancock Park $3,086 · Mid-City $2,708 · Hollywood $2,700 · East Hollywood $2,662 · Chinatown $2,618 · Westlake $2,205 · Pico-Union $1,736 · Arlington Heights $1,702
- Northeast & East LA: Boyle Heights $2,311 · Lincoln Heights $2,179 · Eagle Rock $2,170 · Mount Washington $2,087 · Glassell Park $1,977 · El Sereno $1,717
- San Fernando Valley: Woodland Hills $2,812 · Toluca Lake $2,549 · Valley Village $2,544 · Northridge $2,486 · Encino $2,424 · Van Nuys $2,085 · North Hills $2,058 · Reseda $2,051 · Panorama City $1,987 · Sun Valley $1,870
- South LA: West Adams $4,182 · Exposition Park $4,168 · University Park $3,866 · Baldwin Hills–Crenshaw $2,291 · Hyde Park $2,185 · Jefferson Park $1,851 · Leimert Park $1,275
Small neighborhoods with only a few large buildings can swing a lot — one new complex can move the average by hundreds of dollars — so treat these as a starting point and compare them with live listings.
What the numbers mean for your search
- Best-value one-bedrooms in the table: Highland Park ($2,042), Koreatown ($2,208), Sherman Oaks ($2,258) and North Hollywood ($2,288) all average well under the $2,547 citywide figure.
- Over $3,000 for a one-bedroom: Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Culver City.
- Fast risers: Echo Park's all-sizes average is up 21.4% from a year earlier and Silver Lake's 9.2%, while the citywide average slipped 0.26%.
- What the data leaves out: RentCafe covers buildings with 50 or more units. Older small buildings — including the city's rent-stabilized (RSO) apartments built before October 1978 — aren't in the sample, so a unit in a 1920s fourplex can price well away from these averages in either direction.
Budgeting the move-in
Plan for the first month's rent plus a security deposit. Since July 1, 2024, California caps deposits at one month's rent for most landlords (AB 12; some small landlords may still ask for two), and an advance “last month's rent” counts toward that cap. For an average $2,547 one-bedroom, that's about $5,100 before the move itself.
The move is the smaller line: a local LA move is billed hourly — $88/hr for 2 movers and a truck, $128/hr for 3 — so a studio runs $264–$330 and a typical one-bedroom $330–$440, materials and stairs included, at the same rate any day of the week. Mid-week, mid-month dates are the easiest to book. Use our instant cost calculator for an estimate, or see local moving rates for the full breakdown.
Related guides
Related questions
What is the average rent in Los Angeles in 2026?
The average apartment rent in Los Angeles is $2,758 a month across all sizes, per RentCafe data updated August 31, 2026: $1,971 for a studio, $2,547 for a one-bedroom, $3,364 for a two-bedroom and $4,365 for a three-bedroom.
Which LA neighborhood has the cheapest rent?
Among City of LA neighborhoods in RentCafe's August 2026 data (all apartment sizes), the lowest averages were Leimert Park ($1,275), Arlington Heights ($1,702), El Sereno ($1,717), Pico-Union ($1,736) and Jefferson Park ($1,851). For one-bedrooms, Highland Park ($2,042) and Koreatown ($2,208) are the lowest-priced areas in our table.
Why is rent so high in Los Angeles?
Demand has outrun new supply for decades. Land and construction are expensive, much of the city's residential land is zoned for single-family homes, and new apartment buildings take years to approve and build, so vacancies stay tight and rents stay high.
Which LA area has the most expensive rent?
Of the 19 areas in our table, Marina del Rey ($3,763 for a one-bedroom), Santa Monica ($3,452) and West Hollywood ($3,297) cost the most. Within the City of LA, the highest all-sizes averages were West Adams ($4,182), Exposition Park ($4,168) and Playa Vista ($4,079), per RentCafe (August 2026).
How much money do I need to move into an LA apartment?
Budget the first month's rent plus a security deposit, which California caps at one month's rent for most landlords (AB 12, since July 1, 2024) — about $5,100 for an average $2,547 one-bedroom — plus the move itself: $330–$440 for a typical local one-bedroom move with Best Movers LA.
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