while los angeles certainly has a higher cost of living than columbus ohio, it's not nearly as expensive as san francisco, new york, or even washington DC
It's getting close to those cities. I know lots of profs who have to pay a lot of money for a home with 1100 square feet in a decent place in a gentrifying area -- try between $700K and $800K hundred thousand (sometimes more). Venice, Westwood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Pasadena, El Sereno, Boyle Heights, etc., all out of control prices. You're in LA for the sunshine. That's it. Traffic is s**t.