Comprehensive Budget Travel Guide to Los Angeles from a Local

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Palm trees, sunny weather, and beautiful beaches – these are only some of the reasons travelers are drawn to Los Angeles. As amazing as the city is, it can be very expensive. I’m originally from Los Angeles and there’s a reason I moved across the country to the South.

But, just because you are traveling there, doesn’t mean you can’t plan an inexpensive trip. In fact, with this budget travel guide to Los Angeles, I’m sharing exactly how to visit without spending your life savings including tips on where to stay, how to get around most easily on a budget, and even a list of free things to do in Los Angeles!

Summary of Budget Friendly Musts

How Much It Costs to Visit

This is an estimate for a one week trip at the bare minimum budgeting for accommodation, public transit, and some food eaten out. If you’re sharing any of these with travel companions, the value will be lower.

Don’t forget to add in your activities and any transportation needed to get to Los Angeles.

Best Time to Visit Los Angeles on a Budget

Before I dive into the details, lets talk Los Angeles weather and crowds. I’m sure when you picture Los Angeles, you picture sunny skies all the time. While this is mostly true some months have more brutal weather than others. Let’s start in spring.

In February and March, the weather is pretty perfect. Then next three months we have some phenomena that are as follows: April showers, May gray, and June gloom. Basically, it can be surprisingly chilly and gloomy/rainy during April-June. It will start to heat up but don’t expect perfect weather the whole time.

Every year that I was in college and grad school, I visited Los Angeles in May. It’s almost always been gloomy and more chilly than I want it to be. BUT, chilly in Los Angeles is in the 60’s or low 70’s, so it’s not that bad.

For crowds, February through May (minus spring break) are clear of crowds, as kids are in school at this time.

Summer months are crowded with tourists. This is peak season and also the hottest. Like I said, June can get gloomy, but it’ll still be crowded.

Now, July through September (and often through mid October) are the devil months. It’s HOT. In the low 100’s easily every day so if heat isn’t your thing, don’t come in the summer. It’s really not fun to sight-see in crowded areas, especially if you’re overheated.

My one tip is that the beaches will be cooler than anywhere inland — although that sometimes can be the difference between 105 degrees and 95 degrees.

Fall is a better time to visit. The summer heat will finally cool off slightly, although it can stay disgustingly hot into October and sometimes early November, but at least the crowds will have died down.

Be on the lookout for Santa Ana winds when you are planning. These winds bring the heat in the fall…literally. So, it might get hotter than expected.

While I’m talking about weather patterns here, I have to also mention El Niño, a torrential rainstorm that can happen between October and March. It doesn’t happen every year, but just something to consider when planning. The news will report on if this phenomenon is expected that year.

Winter in Los Angeles is mild. It’ll be chilly (by Los Angeles terms) from December to February. It can get to freezing overnight but the daytime temperatures are usually in the 50’s.

TLDR: Summer is hot, spring and fall can bring unexpected weather, and winter is a little chilly (not great for beach days). Crowds will be most mild anytime other than summer (with the exception of spring break and the holiday season).

I would visit in April or May if you want less scorching heat and fewer crowds, OR late October and early November. January and February are also good times to visit if you don’t care about it being beach weather. These months will also be less expensive than the summer months!

Read more >> Local’s 5 day LA itinerary

Flights

If you need to book flights, Los Angeles has a couple airports – LAX (which is most popular, and therefore most crowded…and always under construction), BUR (located in Burbank, closer to the mountains), and ONT (technically not in Los Angeles, but it’s by far the least crowded airport we have).

For the cheapest flights, you’ll probably be stuck with LAX because they have the most flight options internationally and domestically. It’s a hellish airport but, it will most likely be the cheapest. Sometimes you just have to commit.

Transportation – rental car or public transportation?

In order for me to discuss transportation, I need to show you a map of Los Angeles. One of the biggest misunderstandings is that Los Angeles is incredibly widespread.

Some of the best things to see are in Downtown LA, while others are along the coast or the mountains.

However, you can plan your trip to primarily or exclusively use public transportation depending on your itinerary.

Let’s break it down. The cost of public transportation is on average $1.75 one way, $5 for a day pass, or $18 for a week pass, per person. The day pass prices apply as fare capping as well. Meaning as you use your TAP card to pay, it’ll max out your fare at $5 per day or $18 for the week.

If you are on a tight budget or traveling solo, I recommend public transportation. You can reach most places via public transit and if you run into trouble, a ride share is always an option!

If you can fit a car into your budget, I personally would do so.

It gives you freedom to explore areas limited by public transportation like the Malibu beaches. It also prevents you from having to switch between multiple trains and buses, so you can maximize your exploration time.

For example, to get to a viewing point for the Hollywood sign using public transportation you need to first take the Metro (train) to a specific stop, then the bus, then you can walk the rest of the way. It can be tedious and time consuming. Whereas with a car, you can drive to the closest viewing point and park on the street, sometimes for free depending on the area.

Just to put some numbers on rental cars. I recently visited for a week and rented a car for $75 for the entire week. So it really might be more manageable than you think. Of course, you do need to budget for parking and gas costs, so keep that in mind.

It’s honestly up to your budget, itinerary, and group size. I recommend getting a car to maximize your time and the hassle, but you can totally make public transportation work.

Feel free to split up the time as well. Look into getting a rental car for one day if you’re dying to visit somewhere beyond the Metro’s reach.

TL:DR; Public transportation works, especially for shorter trips and solo travel, but it can be time consuming and a headache. If possible, I recommend getting a rental car.

Where to Stay in LA on a Budget

Let’s refer back to our map of Los Angeles.

For cheaper areas to stay, you’ll probably want to move farther away from downtown Los Angeles. The more you move into the suburbs of downtown, generally the more options there are for various budgets.

You can find inexpensive hotels or apartment rentals for $100 per night. The typical hotel is around $175 per night.

The key with finding lodging is honestly the area you want to be in. Remember Los Angeles is HUGE…4700 square miles. There are many cities within Los Angeles county, which is what everyone means when they say Los Angeles.

Many cities are great to stay in. Less popular beach towns are Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach.

Cities bordering the mountains include Glendale, Burbank, and Arcadia.

There’s the valley, which is Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, and Chatsworth.

And within the city of Los Angeles, you have different neighborhoods like Mid-Wilshire, Silver Lake, and Koreatown.

These are just some of the cities in Los Angeles. My point is that when you are searching for lodging, it might help to expand your search to more cities than the actual city of Los Angeles, which places you right in downtown.

And, to give a little perspective. It takes about an hour to drive from the Valley (west Los Angeles) to the Eastern cities near the mountains. It’s also about an hour from the mountain towns to the beach cities.

Basically no matter where you stay, you’ll probably end up spending part of your day getting from point A to B.

Still, if you’re relying on public transportation consult the Metro map when choosing your accommodation to make sure you aren’t stranding yourself somewhere. Everywhere I listed above can be accessed via the Metro system, whether it is a bus, train, or subway.

If I were booking a trip to Los Angeles, I would pick somewhere centered so I could get everywhere easily. I would probably choose Mid-Wilshire, Silver Lake, or Burbank.

Tips for Maximizing Your Budget

There are a lot of ways to save on a vacation, so while some of these may seem like general tips, I’ll share exactly how to apply them to your Los Angeles trip.

Some ideas include cooking some of your own meals, making sure you aren’t paying too much for parking, and choosing your itinerary wisely. Keep reading for details on each of those.

Grocery Shopping

While I do think Los Angeles has the best food in the country (I might be biased), to maximize your budget, I recommend prioritizing when you want to eat out.

Perhaps you want to spend the whole day out and about, so lunch would be your most cost effective meal to eat out. Then you could eat dinner at your accommodation.

If you have no access to a kitchen, I recommend getting PB&J makings, granola bars, and other non-perishables you can form a breakfast and lunch with. I’m a big fan of camping meals that you can rehydrate with boiling water (aka the coffee maker in your room).

For your grocery shopping, here are the cheapest stores:

• Smart & Final – sometimes a weird collection of goods, and more items in bulk – better for families
• Ralphs – cheaper grocery store that has everything you’ll need (a Kroger/Safeway partner)
• Trader Joes – It isn’t always the most budget-friendly option for everything, but if you have access to a microwave and fridge, they will have more high quality, yummy freezer meals for ~ $4 each.

Stores to avoid if you’re on a budget:

• Whole Foods – A Los Angeles stereotype indeed. Just avoid it if you don’t want to pay ridiculous prices.
• Sprouts – Same deal as Whole Foods but they do have a lot of options for gluten free, vegan, and other diet restrictions.
• Erewhon — This shouldn’t come as a surprise because they’re literally known for how expensive they are.
• Gelson’s — I love Gelson’s but they can be pricey! It really depends on what you’re buying. Expect produce to be more reasonable but deli items to be more.

Validating Your Parking

Here’s the deal. In Los Angeles, parking can be rough. With some areas that have multiple (seemingly) conflicting signs, garages, and street parking, there’s a lot to learn when you arrive in LA.

The most important budget tip is that if you enter a parking lot or deck that gives you a ticket, read the ticket to see if you need to leave it on display. If NOT, take this ticket with you wherever you’re going because usually businesses will “validate” your parking ticket.

They quite literally stamp it so that when you exit your parking deck, you can enter your ticket and prove that you visited the intended businesses. This will either lower your parking rate or extend the time that you can park in the deck or lot for free.

You can only validate once, but once is all that is needed – meaning, you don’t need ask for validation in every store or restaurant you visit.

Parking validation isn’t always available, needed, or accepted, but it never hurts to ask.

For example, if you go to Universal CityWalk to see a movie, the theatre will validate your parking and give you a full refund for the $25 parking fee.

Stack the Deals

If you’re set on doing a tour or something in Los Angeles, check Groupon for deals! You can find many discounted options there.

Plus, if you use Rakuten, you can earn some cash back on Groupon purchases.

Free Things To Do in Los Angeles

1. Griffith Observatory

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Griffith Observatory is the number one to do in Los Angeles in my opinion. It’s free, it’s educational, and it has the best views of LA and the Hollywood sign with some stellar Instagram photo ops. Parking can be a little tricky, so peep this helpful guide to Griffith.

Food nearby: There are a bunch of great restaurants on Hillhurst Ave., which you’ll find at the base of the mountain that Griffith sits upon. There is a café in the Observatory but it’s mostly packaged sandwiches, chips, etc. – kind of expensive for what it is. You can also pack a lunch to bring.

2. Wander Hancock Park

Within Hancock Park is the La Brea Tar Pits and yes, there is a paid museum, but the park is free! You can walk around and see actual tar pits, archeological dig sites, and life size prehistoric animal statues.

Plus, it’s also right next to LACMA (an art museum), so you can head over to see the free outdoor light post exhibit, called Urban Light.

Nearby food of interest: Pinks Hot Dogs, an iconic outdoor restaurant that’s been around since 1939!

3. California Science Center

Another great free science museum is the California Science Center south of downtown Los Angeles. This museum is full of interactive exhibits on the human body, aerospace, ecosystems, and more!

Around the back is the free Rose Garden that I highly recommend as well.

Good food nearby: Jacks n Joe has the best breakfast and brunch with amazing pancakes like the Ruby Belle which has apples, pecans, and brown sugar butter! (I have yet to remember to take a picture of my food before scarfing it down at ungodly speed).

Related read >> Top 25 Los Angeles Museums with Prices

4. Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach

If you’re looking for iconic beaches in Los Angeles, there’s no better choice than Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. They’re right next to each other so they’re easy to do together.

While both of these attractions are free, they are notorious tourist traps, so souvenirs are around every corner. I prefer Santa Monica because it’s more family friendly with an arcade, street performers, and amusement park.

In Venice, you’ll want to walk along the “Speedway” which follows the beach. Venice is a little more PG-13 – there are artists and street performers, but you’ll definitely see some weird stuff. Let’s just say it’s an eclectic crowd – safe, for the most part – but eclectic. For families, I would stick to the Santa Monica Pier.

Good food nearby: I’m a sucker for a good corn dog so my budget-friendly choice is Hot Dog on a Stick located below the Santa Monica Pier. In the city of Venice (not along the Speedway), I recommend Wanderlust Creamery for travel destination inspired ice cream!

5. Downtown Los Angeles

You can see a lot of downtown Los Angeles in one day for free including Chinatown, Olvera Street and the historic Avila Adobe, and the Last Bookstore.

I’d also recommend Angel’s Flight, aka America’s shortest railway. Tickets are only ~$2 to ride!

Good food nearby: My choice would be Grand Central Market because you can have your pick from over 20 food vendors and it’s within a block of a ton of fun activities! Taquitos with the best avocado sauce from Cielto Lindo on Olvera Street are also amazing! And the French dip sandwich was invented at Philippe’s here. You really can’t go wrong.

6. Museums!

Los Angeles has so many museums including free ones like the amazing Getty Museums shown below, and museums of various price ranges like the Peterson Automotive Museum, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Huntington Gardens, and more!

Some also have free museum days. For example, the Skirball Museum is free on Thursdays.

7. Walk Hollywood Boulevard

As a local, I’ll tell you the unfortunately truth about Hollywood. It’s not just touristy, it’s a bit unsafe because it’s prone to lots of scams.

If you’ve never been and really want to find a specific person’s star on the Walk of Fame, do it. It’s free!

But, there are so many other amazing things in Los Angeles that I would recommend over Hollywood. Seriously, ask any local and they would agree. If you’re short on time or not invested, just skip it.

If you are there, check out the old TCL Chinese Theatre and if you wander up to the right, you’ll end up at the Dolby Theatre, which hosts the Oscars. You can wander around here to see pillars with Academy Award winners displayed!

Food nearby: If you’re making this itinerary your tourist day, complete the package with In-N-Out Burger, located one street south of Hollywood Boulevard on Sunset. If you’re at the Chinese Theatre, walk down Orange Drive (across the street), and you’ll run into it when you hit Sunset.

8. Explore the caves of El Matador State Beach

This is one of my favorite beaches in Los Angeles because of all the beautiful rocks and caves to explore. Once you descend the stairs to the beach, keep walking right, down the beach. You’ll have to pass under a couple arches until finally you’ll reach this beautiful cave!

Note that the tide is really important to keep track of here because during high tide, the whole beach is underwater.

Food nearby: I would drive south on Pacific Coast Highway (aka Route 1, aka PCH to locals) into the heart of Malibu where you’ll find amazing seafood! There’s honestly a bunch, but pay attention to restaurants that depend on market prices of fish. Don’t be afraid to ask the price first! For a cheaper option, try Lily’s Malibu, a Mexican restaurant with raving reviews for their breakfast burritos.

9. Visit the dead at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

This might sound like an odd choice, but it’s kind of a whacky once in a lifetime LA experience because many famous people in the entertainment industry (“the industry” to locals) were buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Notable celebrities include Chris Cornell, Judy Garland, Anton Yelchin, Johnny Ramone, Griffith J. Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino, and more!

Good food nearby: I would honestly make my way to the Original Farmer’s Market. It’s about 3 miles from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, but it’s worth it! By bus, it’s a 25 min trip and by car it’s only 10 minutes. Here you’ll find a mix of every food under the sun. My personal favorite is Nonna’s Empanadas. While you’re here, be sure to try a free sample of English toffee and grab a donut (or donut hole) for dessert from Bob’s Doughnuts. So many delicious choices!

10. Hiking

Believe it or not, there are some beautiful hikes in Los Angeles many of which are very dog-friendly.

Runyon Canyon and Baldwin Park Overlook are some of my favorites!

Food nearby: This one really depends on which hike you do since they’re all over the city!

Related read >> How to plan hiking itineraries

Things to Do in Los Angeles that are Worth the Money

1. Dining Around the World

Los Angeles is one of the best cities for food hands down. We have authentic everything. It is really worth it to allocate your budget to food because everything is AMAZING. In addition to all the food I listed above, here are some other less expensive popular choices:

• Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles (8 locations in Los Angeles) – it’s just one of those LA things you have to try
• Zankou Chicken (12 locations in Los Angeles) – super delicious Armenian and Mediterranean food. The secret’s in the sauce.
• Din Tai Fung (7 Southern California locations – Arcadia, CA is the original location) – famous for Xiaolongbao and can be pricey, but if you can split dishes, it’s worth it!
• Street Tacos – Mexican food in Los Angeles is SO GOOD. Find a food truck or hole in the wall for the best street tacos. You can really find them everywhere!

2. The Huntington Botanical Gardens and Library

There are few places in Los Angeles that I return to regardless of the price, but this is one of them.

If you have room in your budget to expand your itinerary, the Huntington in San Marino is worth the $29 admission price. You can make this a whole day activity making it even more worth the price.

The Huntington has extensive botanical gardens with beautiful Chinese (with a good café), Japanese, desert, herb, jungle, rose, Shakespeare, and California gardens! AND, there are art galleries that house The Blue Boy, and library collections that are home to one of the 12 original Gutenberg Bibles and Audubon’s Birds of America.

That’s just a snippet. I seriously can’t recommend the Huntington enough if you can fit it in your budget.

3. Aquarium of the Pacific

Like Griffith Observatory, the Aquarium of the Pacific is one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles (technically Long Beach). It really spoils you for any other aquarium because it is 100% the best.

There many touching pools outside so you can enjoy the sunny weather. The jellyfish section is amazing!

The tickets are hefty at $45 but you can get package tickets to see the Aquarium and the Queen Mary ship, Los Angeles Zoo, Natural History Museum, and/or the Battleship IOWA. There are sometimes discounts online and in person including student, military, AAA, and more!

4. Events in the City

Los Angeles is a super fun city because there are always events going on! If you have wiggle room in your budget, I would consider seeking out a unique event. Here some that I recommend:

• Hollywood Bowl – These concerts are always spectacular. The Hollywood Bowl is beautiful and budget-friendly! You can bring in your own food and alcohol so you can make your own picnic or bring in take out! I once brought in In-N-Out, like a true Angeleno. Double check the website for more information on what’s restricted. And, ticket prices depending on the event are pretty cheap. You can see a concert for $30! I’ve seen a number of artists here (John Williams, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, and Genesis) and the venue is great. Highly recommend.

• Sporting events – We have a number of Sports teams in Los Angeles (and Anaheim). Check out the Lakers, Clippers, and Sparks (WNBA) for basketball, Dodgers and Angels for baseball, Ducks and Kings for hockey, the Chargers and Rams for NFL, and finally the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins for college football.

• 626 Night Market – This is an Asian inspired outdoor food market that takes place in the summer! There are 250+ food, merchandise, art, entertainment, and music vendors and attractions. The original location is at Santa Anita Park but they have expanded to include the Orange County Fairgrounds and Alameda County Fairgrounds.

• Rooftop Movie Screening – Catch a screening of one of your favorite movies from a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles. They’ve shown movies like The Big Lebowski, La La Land, Mean Girls, Cry Baby, and more!

• Pantages Theatre – If you like plays and musicals, I highly recommend going to a show at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The interior is beautifully ornate with art deco designs that honestly rival the show. The cheapest tickets are usually around $60.

I hope you found this guide helpful and I’ve convinced you that Los Angeles can be a budget-friendly trip – if you get the right tips!

My Travel Essentials

• Travel Insurance – Going on an international trip? Don’t forget travel and medical insurance with SafetyWing.
• Travel Card – If you’re new to travel hacking, fear not! My favorite card for beginners gives you $750 in rewards when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus lounge access, 10x points on hotel bookings, and free TSA pre-check!
• Get Your Guide – Check out Get Your Guide for a one-stop-shop for booking travel activities.
• Booking.com – This is my favorite hotel search aggregator, specifically for reading reviews. On Booking.com, the reviews can be searched for keywords like WiFi, breakfast, pool, amenities, etc.! So helpful!
• Anti-pickpocket bag – Worried about having your valuables swiped? PacSafe makes the best travel bags with zippers and straps that lock and with mesh steel enforced fabric.
• Give the Gift of Travel – This is the perfect gift for travelers in your life! Tinggly allows you to gift experiences around the world, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries.
• Staycation Idea – Check out Resort Pass, which gives you day passes to resorts so you can use their pool, spa, and fitness center, a great staycation idea!

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