Los Angeles vs Las Vegas
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Los Angeles $110–220, Las Vegas $100–250 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Mar–May, Oct–Nov, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 Las Vegas | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $110–220 | $100–250 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $6–14cheaper | $8–15 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $180–320 | $90–220cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.75cheaper | $6 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $5,200 | ≈ $3,900 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇺🇸 Los Angeles
Palm trees, freeways, and the Hollywood dream factory — a sprawling patchwork of beach towns and neighborhoods that only really makes sense once you have a car (or a lot of patience).
- Skybar at Mondrian$$$Nightlife
- Musso & Frank Grill$$$Restaurants
- Hollywood Bowl$$Theater & shows
- No Vacancy$$$Nightlife
- Guelaguetza$$Restaurants
🇺🇸 Las Vegas
Neon, casinos, and round-the-clock spectacle in the middle of the Mojave Desert — a city built entirely to make time disappear, for better or worse.
- Chandelier Bar (The Cosmopolitan)$$Nightlife
- Bacchanal Buffet (Caesars Palace)$$$Restaurants
- "O" by Cirque du Soleil (Bellagio)$$$Theater & shows
- Omnia Nightclub (Caesars Palace)$$$Nightlife
- Lotus of Siam$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Los Angeles | Las Vegas | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | English, with Spanish widely spoken given LA's large Latino population — many menus and signs are bilingual. | English, with Spanish widely spoken given the large hospitality workforce. |
The same in both:
- Currency
- US dollar (USD/$)
- Time zone
- Pacific Time (PT), UTC-8 / UTC-7 with daylight saving
- Power
- Type A/B plugs, 120V — bring a converter if arriving from a 220V country
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Emergency
- 911 police/fire/ambulance