Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Cost of Living in LA - Behind the glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills lies another Los Angeles — a city divided by wealth, housing, addiction and survival. From million-dollar mansions in Santa Monica to homeless camps in Skid Row, this documentary explores the growing gap between the ultra-rich and the working poor in America’s most iconic city. As housing prices explode and the middle class disappears, more and more Angelenos are forced into vans, shared housing and life on the edge.
Because in modern Los Angeles… luxury and collapse exist side by side
The Cost of Living in LA (2021)
Director: Valérie Manns
Writers: Valérie Manns
Genre: Documentary, Society, Urban Studies
Country: France
Language: French (original), English (international version available)
Also Known As: Amérique XXL: Los Angeles côté caché
Release Date: 2021
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Synopsis:
America XXL: Hidden Side of Los Angeles explores the contrasts and contradictions behind the glamorous image of Los Angeles. Beyond Hollywood, luxury, and celebrity culture, the documentary investigates the city’s hidden realities, including social inequality, homelessness, urban expansion, and economic disparity.
Through on-the-ground reporting and interviews with residents and experts, the film examines how extreme wealth coexists with deep poverty in one of the world’s most iconic cities. It reveals the pressures created by rising housing costs, consumer culture, and the pursuit of success in a city built on image and aspiration.
The documentary paints a portrait of Los Angeles as both a symbol of opportunity and a reflection of the broader social and economic tensions shaping modern America.
Chapters:
00:00 – The Dream of Los Angeles
00:34 – A City Divided by Wealth
01:22 – Housing Crisis in L.A.
03:15 – Inside Santa Monica’s Luxury World
07:00 – The $22 Million Mansion
09:03 – Why Workers Can’t Afford Housing
09:30 – Living in a Caravan
13:10 – The Rise of Van Communities
14:02 – The Business of Homeless Housing
17:09 – Wealthy Neighborhoods Fight Back
20:21 – Housing Solutions in Venice Beach
22:14 – Inside the Pod Share System
24:03 – Life in Shared Housing
27:25 – A New Way of Living in California
28:15 – Luxury Shopping in Beverly Hills
31:35 – $80,000 in One Afternoon
32:23 – Skid Row: America’s Largest Homeless District
33:07 – Free Haircuts for the Homeless
36:12 – Life One Paycheck Away From Homelessness
37:02 – The Zombie Drug Crisis
41:15 – Gang Violence in South Los Angeles
42:24 – Bloods vs Crips
44:46 – The Richest Side of L.A.
46:20 – Addiction, Bankruptcy and Reinvention
49:19 – Life in a Van Full-Time
51:07 – Rebuilding a Family After Addiction
52:22 – The Search for Stability
Also Known As (AKA): America XXL_ Hidden Side of Los Angeles
SUPPORT US!
✘ Membership - youtube.com/@UCoOHTipX1_cNiC9seIPfUXA
MORE DOCS!
youtube.com/watch?v=yLZUVsmUwZY
youtube.com/watch?v=S0MZ6cXmYKo&t
youtube.com/watch?v=F5TNiggsH1A&t
PLAYLIST!
► Orignals: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBESnLf1oSWHOSwOolLUncxdIOGsGcGC
► World Economy: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBESnLf1oSUYMacJEwYxDqiB7hJABi11
► All Playlists: youtube.com/@Moconomy/playlists
#finance #documentaries #economy
#LosAngeles
#Inequality
#Moconomy
COPYRIGHT: All of the films published by us are legally licensed. We have acquired the rights (at least for specific territories) from the rightholders by contract. If you have questions please send an email to: info[at]moconomy.tv, Moconomy GmbH, www.moconomy.tv.
The Cost of Living in LA - Behind the glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills lies another Los Angeles — a city divided by wealth, housing, addiction and survival. From million-dollar mansions in Santa Monica to homeless camps in Skid Row, this documentary explores the growing gap between the ultra-rich and the working poor in America’s most iconic city. As housing prices explode and the middle class disappears, more and more Angelenos are forced into vans, shared housing and life on the edge.
Because in modern Los Angeles… luxury and collapse exist side by side
The Cost of Living in LA (2021)
Director: Valérie Manns
Writers: Valérie Manns
Genre: Documentary, Society, Urban Studies
Country: France
Language: French (original), English (international version available)
Also Known As: Amérique XXL: Los Angeles côté caché
Release Date: 2021
Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Synopsis:
America XXL: Hidden Side of Los Angeles explores the contrasts and contradictions behind the glamorous image of Los Angeles. Beyond Hollywood, luxury, and celebrity culture, the documentary investigates the city’s hidden realities, including social inequality, homelessness, urban expansion, and economic disparity.
Through on-the-ground reporting and interviews with residents and experts, the film examines how extreme wealth coexists with deep poverty in one of the world’s most iconic cities. It reveals the pressures created by rising housing costs, consumer culture, and the pursuit of success in a city built on image and aspiration.
The documentary paints a portrait of Los Angeles as both a symbol of opportunity and a reflection of the broader social and economic tensions shaping modern America.
Chapters:
00:00 – The Dream of Los Angeles
00:34 – A City Divided by Wealth
01:22 – Housing Crisis in L.A.
03:15 – Inside Santa Monica’s Luxury World
07:00 – The $22 Million Mansion
09:03 – Why Workers Can’t Afford Housing
09:30 – Living in a Caravan
13:10 – The Rise of Van Communities
14:02 – The Business of Homeless Housing
17:09 – Wealthy Neighborhoods Fight Back
20:21 – Housing Solutions in Venice Beach
22:14 – Inside the Pod Share System
24:03 – Life in Shared Housing
27:25 – A New Way of Living in California
28:15 – Luxury Shopping in Beverly Hills
31:35 – $80,000 in One Afternoon
32:23 – Skid Row: America’s Largest Homeless District
33:07 – Free Haircuts for the Homeless
36:12 – Life One Paycheck Away From Homelessness
37:02 – The Zombie Drug Crisis
41:15 – Gang Violence in South Los Angeles
42:24 – Bloods vs Crips
44:46 – The Richest Side of L.A.
46:20 – Addiction, Bankruptcy and Reinvention
49:19 – Life in a Van Full-Time
51:07 – Rebuilding a Family After Addiction
52:22 – The Search for Stability
Also Known As (AKA): America XXL_ Hidden Side of Los Angeles
SUPPORT US!
✘ Membership - youtube.com/@UCoOHTipX1_cNiC9seIPfUXA
MORE DOCS!
youtube.com/watch?v=yLZUVsmUwZY
youtube.com/watch?v=S0MZ6cXmYKo&t
youtube.com/watch?v=F5TNiggsH1A&t
PLAYLIST!
► Orignals: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBESnLf1oSWHOSwOolLUncxdIOGsGcGC
► World Economy: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBESnLf1oSUYMacJEwYxDqiB7hJABi11
► All Playlists: youtube.com/@Moconomy/playlists
#finance #documentaries #economy
#LosAngeles
#Inequality
#Moconomy
COPYRIGHT: All of the films published by us are legally licensed. We have acquired the rights (at least for specific territories) from the rightholders by contract. If you have questions please send an email to: info[at]moconomy.tv, Moconomy GmbH, www.moconomy.tv.
