| Index | Costa Mesa | California | National |
| Cost of living | 197 | 141 | 100 |
| Groceries | 113 | 111 | 100 |
| Health care | 119 | 116 | 100 |
| Housing | 380 | 197 | 100 |
| Transportation | 119 | 118 | 100 |
| Utilities | 123 | 119 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 123 | 120 | 100 |
| Household Items | 111 | 111 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 129 | 127 | 100 |
The cost of living in Costa Mesa affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Costa Mesa is 197, which is 97% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
If affordability is among your top priorities when searching for a new place to live, this area may not be the ideal fit, as the cost of living in Costa Mesa is among the most expensive in the United States. Just a minority of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Costa Mesa falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.
Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Costa Mesa, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 279.6% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.
The routine items you regularly buy for your home, such as cleaning supplies, personal care products, clothing basics, and kitchen essentials, make up 8% of the cost of living index. In Costa Mesa, these items cost 11% more than the national average, making day-to-day living a bit more expensive.
The cost of groceries continues to rise at an alarming rate. Over the last two years, grocery prices have increased by more than 10%! Unfortunately, in Costa Mesa, the news isn't any better as grocery prices are 12.9% higher than the national average.
Locals have the inside scoop on their city. So, we polled 10 residents in Costa Mesa to learn how they view the cost of living. We asked how they felt about the cost of living in their area, and if they thought that prices were increasing, decreasing or staying the same. The verdict? 20% find it reasonable with decreasing prices, but 80% think it's quite pricey, with prices that continue to rise.
Is Costa Mesa an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Costa Mesa is 354.4% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 105.3% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Costa Mesa has a median household income of $137,077, which is 68.5% higher than the national average.
Taxes: Cities that enforce higher taxes, covering both sales taxes and income taxes, can be a factor contributing to a higher cost of living. Paying more in taxes for everyday essentials like clothing and food inevitably leads to higher expenses. A higher income tax rate can further contribute to an overall elevated cost of living. In Costa Mesa, the baseline sales tax rate begins at 7.25%, and income tax rates start at 1%.
Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Costa Mesa, the transportation index stands at 19.2% higher than the national average.
Healthcare: Healthcare expenditures and insurance premium rates can vary significantly, contingent upon the particular city or state. Factors such as the accessibility of healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor's appointments, dental care charges, prescription medication costs, and expenses related to specialized medical care can all have an impact on the overall cost of living. In Costa Mesa, healthcare costs are 18.9% higher than the national average.
The cost of living data for Costa Mesa shown above is based on a U.S. average baseline score of 100, making it easier to compare how far your dollar may go from one city to another. Housing uses U.S. Census home price and rental data, while all remaining values are AI-assisted estimates informed by regional pricing, climate, transportation dynamics, and local economic factors. These scores are best used for directional comparisons between cities.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $187,182 | $15,599 | $4,367 | $5,616 |
| Renters | $113,830 | $9,486 | $2,656 | $3,415 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| California | 7.25% | 10.5% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| California | 1% | 13.3% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Laguna Woods, CA | 16,656 | 135 | 34.5% |
| Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 14,656 | 142 | 42.3% |
| Stanton, CA | 39,110 | 146 | 46.2% |
| Seal Beach, CA | 25,208 | 149 | 49.1% |
| Signal Hill, CA | 11,866 | 159 | 58.9% |
| Costa Mesa, CA | 117,376 | 197 | 97.0% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Murrieta, CA | 117,330 | 150 | 50.5% |
| Springfield, IL | 117,426 | 92 | 7.5% |
| North Charleston, SC | 117,218 | 102 | 1.9% |
| Carlsbad, CA | 117,067 | 202 | 102.1% |
| Clovis, CA | 117,046 | 132 | 32.3% |
| Costa Mesa, CA | 117,376 | 197 | 97.0% |
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