City comparison
Mission 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 Mission 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.
Mission Viejo has a population of 93,233, vs 56,345 in National City — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Mission Viejo covers about 18 sq mi vs 7.3 sq mi for National City.
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 | Mission Viejo | National City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,622/mo | $1,504/mo | 74.3% higher in Mission Viejo |
| Median home value | $883,600 | $505,800 | 74.7% higher in Mission Viejo |
| Median household income | $136,570 | $59,850 | 128.2% higher in Mission 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 Mission Viejo |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.0 | 4.3% higher in Mission 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 Mission Viejo, you'd need $100,094 in National City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mission Viejo and National City have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Mission Viejo, you'd need about $80,075 in National City to keep the same standard of living.