more similar than different. you can pick out the differences but fundamentally you're still doing the same things and living the same way.

In the U.S. the west coast has a different culture.  It is much more progressive and liberal.  It is based on the people having moved there more recently and so being more adventurous and open to change.

The east coast is much more established and has the people who were just born there.

What east coast and west coast are you talking about? There are several pairs of coastlines in the world which could be compared this way.

Well, one is Lake Huron, the other Lake Michigan. Geographically they’re the same, but some people prefer sunsets to sunrises.

Totally depends on frame of reference. 

Compared to, say, rural Mongolia? Extremely similar to one another. 

Compared to a city in Indiana? Pretty different than one another.

Are east coast and west coast similar or very different?