City comparison
Aliso Viejo, CA is about 70 miles (125 km) from National City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Aliso Viejo, CA to National City, CA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
National City has a population of 56,345, vs 51,896 in Aliso Viejo — about the same size. By land area, National City covers about 7.3 sq mi vs 6.9 sq mi for Aliso Viejo.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Aliso Viejo | National City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,625/mo | $1,504/mo | 74.5% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Median home value | $818,500 | $505,800 | 61.8% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Median household income | $131,708 | $59,850 | 120.1% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 107.6 | 1.1% higher in National City |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 169.8 | 9.2% higher in National City |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.0 | 4.3% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.0 | 4.3% higher in Aliso Viejo |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Aliso Viejo, you'd need $100,087 in National City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Aliso Viejo and National City have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Aliso Viejo, you'd need about $80,069 in National City to keep the same standard of living.