落三鸡，无房贷一家的基本开销

1. Housing Homeownership Costs

? Either Scenario: Hidden Ongoing Expenses

Homeownership in LA involves more than mortgage payments. Zillow data—cited by the WSJ—reports average hidden costs (insurance, taxes, maintenance) around $1,180/month The Wall Street Journal.
In high-value markets like LA, these can be significant—Zillow notes that owners in cities like LA face some of the highest such hidden costs Better Homes Gardens.

? Property Tax Insurance

• Property tax rate: about 1.24% of assessed value Accounting Insights.

  • For a $1.1M home, that’s approx $950/month.

• Homeowner’s insurance: between $1,570 and $2,112/year, or around $130–$175/month Accounting Insights.

• Additionally, maintenance/HOA fees may add $400–$500/month, with HOA fees alone often $250–$300/month in LA's coastal neighborhoods First Tuesday JournalThe Wall Street Journal.

---

2. Utilities, Connectivity Services

• Electricity, water, gas, trash, internet:

  • Estimates range from $246/month utilities + $194 phone, per Resident.com Resident Magazine.

  • OysterLink items to ~$375 total ($150 electricity, $80 water, $50 gas, $70 internet, $25 trash) OysterLink.

• Combined, a practical estimate is $300–$400/month for utilities and internet.

---

3. Groceries Dining

• LA grocery costs are 9–20% above the national average, with staples such as milk at ~$5, bread ~$4, eggs ~$3–$5 RentCafeRoyal Moving Storage IncOysterLinkcostoflivingtoday.com.

• UrbanScope lists food for a couple at $700/month urbanscope.blog.

• So, plan on $700–900/month for groceries and modest dining.

---

4. Transportation

• Gas: LA prices are among the highest nationwide (around $4.70–$5/gallon) OysterLinkVIP Realty.

• Monthly commuting costs may reach $150–200 for fuel.

• Car insurance: roughly $265–$350/month (annual $3,200–4,200) Accounting Insights.

• Parking: typically $200–$300/month, depending on neighborhood Accounting Insights.

• Public transit: a Metro pass costs around $100/month as an alternative Accounting Insightsurbanscope.blog.

• Total transport (car-centric scenario): $400–600/month.

---

5. Healthcare Insurance

• For a couple, health insurance via exchanges is around $750/month urbanscope.blog.

• Employer plans or open-market options vary widely, but budgeting $700–900/month is wise.

---

6. Lifestyle Personal Expenses

• Entertainment and dining out: ~$350/month urbanscope.blog.

• Gym memberships, personal care (haircuts, clothes, subscriptions): assume $200–300/month Resident Magazinecostoflivingtoday.com.

• Miscellaneous savings for maintenance, HOA, lawn care: $400–500/month The Wall Street JournalFirst Tuesday JournalReddit+1.