City comparison
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 | Costa Mesa | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,268/mo | $2,316/mo | 2.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $959,800 | $1,348,700 | 28.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $104,981 | $136,689 | 23.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 58.2 | 78.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 62.4 | 100.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 59.8 | 74.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 38.9 | 167.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Costa Mesa, you'd need $102,119 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Costa Mesa, CA is about 2.1% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Costa Mesa than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Costa Mesa, you'd need about $81,695 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.