Los Angeles cost of living spikes as fast‑food taco combo hits $63

In Los Angeles, a simple fast‑food taco meal with two drinks now costs about $63, a price cited by local residents as an example of soaring inflation. The same anecdotes describe other sharp price hikes: childcare can exceed $3,000 a month, a gasoline tank fills for $140, a dozen eggs approach $12, and avocados sell for $7 each. Even those earning $40,000 a year report being evicted from apartments they can no longer afford, while parking meters in Santa Monica have been reduced from three‑hour limits to 15‑minute intervals, further squeezing residents’ budgets. Collectively, these accounts illustrate a broader cost‑of‑living crisis affecting consumers across Southern California.