Cost of living in Irvine research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Irvine is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Irvine is 182, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Irvine is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Irvine ranks as the #539 cheapest in California out of 635.
Irvine ranks as the #6,225 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Irvine is $900,700.
The median income in Irvine is $114,027.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Irvine has an overall cost of living index of 182, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Irvine has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Irvine ranks as #539 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Irvine ranks as the #96 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Irvine, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Irvine. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Irvine is 111.
The Groceries index in Irvine is 112.
The Health index in Irvine is 103.
The Housing index in Irvine is 335.
The Transportation index in Irvine is 138.
The Utilities index in Irvine is 89.
Living Expense | Irvine | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 182 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 111 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 103 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 335 | 204 | 100 | |
Transportation | 138 | 126 | 100 | |
Utilities | 89 | 124 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Irvine is $900,700.
The Median Rent in Irvine is $2,533.
The Median Income in Irvine is $114,027.
The Home Value To Income in Irvine is 7.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Irvine is 0.27x.
Statistic | Irvine | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $900,700 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,533 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $114,027 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 7.9x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Irvine | California |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.17 | $1.06 |
Movie | $14.48 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $24.56 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $22.6 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $66.25 | $39.05 |
Item | Irvine | California |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.58 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.72 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.19 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.99 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.66 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.82 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.48 | $2.34 |
Item | Irvine | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $106.53 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $100.28 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $114.52 | $99.13 |
Item | Irvine | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.32 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $52.6 | $50.07 |
Item | Irvine | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $138.7 | $167.67 |
Phone | $176.01 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Irvine. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Santa Ana, CA has a cost of living index of 136, 0.7x Irvine.
Costa Mesa, CA has a cost of living index of 165, 0.9x Irvine.
Mission Viejo, CA has a cost of living index of 166, 0.9x Irvine.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Irvine |
---|---|---|---|
Santa Ana, CA | 313,818 | 136 | 0.7x |
Costa Mesa, CA | 112,148 | 165 | 0.9x |
Mission Viejo, CA | 93,932 | 166 | 0.9x |
Newport Beach, CA | 85,806 | 277 | 1.5x |
Lake Forest, CA | 85,516 | 159 | 0.9x |
Tustin, CA | 79,895 | 157 | 0.9x |
Yorba Linda, CA | 68,319 | 181 | 1.0x |
Aliso Viejo, CA | 51,943 | 161 | 0.9x |
Cypress, CA | 50,279 | 154 | 0.8x |
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 48,190 | 163 | 0.9x |