The Hidden Cost of Survival in LA

The High Cost of Dying in Los Angeles: Life, Money, and the Brutal Reality of Aging

In Los Angeles, a simple hamburger now costs nearly $20 after tax and tip. It’s the new normal. No matter how high the cost of living climbs, the people of this city have no choice but to comply. Sometimes, it feels utterly absurd—working ourselves to the bone just to keep up with inflation that never sleeps.

Today, my work brought me close to the elderly. Spending time with them and hearing their stories opened my eyes to a harsh truth: retirement is either a colorful dream or a black-and-white nightmare, depending entirely on your bank balance. Aging isn't free. In fact, it’s expensive. We are bound to the necessity of money until the very moment we take our last breath.

If you think about it, the human struggle begins long before our first breath. We started as one of 100 million sperm cells, fighting a desperate race where only the winner earns the right to exist. After that initial victory, the battles only continue—fighting for a place in society, and eventually, fighting against aging and declining income.

From the cellular level before we even had consciousness to the final stage of life, we are in a constant state of war with both visible and invisible forces. Is this what life is? Just a never-ending cycle of struggle? Under the bright but expensive sun of Los Angeles, I found myself reflecting on the weight of this reality.