La Mesa, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In La Mesa, CA Summary

Cost of living in La Mesa 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 La Mesa 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 La Mesa is 144, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in La Mesa is 1.4x higher than the national average.

  • La Mesa ranks as the #386 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • La Mesa ranks as the #5,704 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in La Mesa is $600,000.

  • The median income in La Mesa is $75,616.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
144
La Mesa's Overall Cost Of Living
1.4x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in La Mesa, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, La Mesa has an overall cost of living index of 144, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, La Mesa has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in La Mesa ranks as #386 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies La Mesa ranks as the #249 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in La Mesa, check out:

386 out of 635
In California
5,704 out of 6,412
In America

La Mesa Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in La Mesa. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in La Mesa is 112.

  • The Groceries index in La Mesa is 114.

  • The Health index in La Mesa is 108.

  • The Housing index in La Mesa is 202.

  • The Transportation index in La Mesa is 137.

  • The Utilities index in La Mesa is 127.

Living Expense La Mesa California National Average
Overall 144 139 100
Services 112 110 100
Groceries 114 112 100
Health 108 109 100
Housing 202 204 100
Transportation 137 126 100
Utilities 127 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
La Mesa Cost of Living Vs. CA

La Mesa, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 La Mesa is $600,000.

  • The Median Rent in La Mesa is $1,685.

  • The Median Income in La Mesa is $75,616.

  • The Home Value To Income in La Mesa is 7.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in La Mesa is 0.27x.

Statistic La Mesa California United States
Median Home Value $600,000 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $1,685 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $75,616 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 7.9x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.27x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In La Mesa, CA
$600,000
Median Home Value
$1,685
Median Rent
$75,616
Median Income

La Mesa, CA Costs By Category

Detailed La Mesa Services Costs Vs. California

Item La Mesa California
Shampoo $1.2 $1.06
Movie $14.42 $10.68
Bowling $22.0 $14.67
Haircut $22.68 $18.62
Beauty Salon $64.57 $39.05

Detailed La Mesa Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item La Mesa California
Ground Beef $4.58 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.72 $1.39
Milk $2.19 $2.05
Potatoes $2.99 $3.29
Pizza $11.43 $10.62
Beer $9.82 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.48 $2.34

Detailed La Mesa Health Costs Vs. California

Item La Mesa California
Optometrist $117.65 $108.57
Doctor $125.0 $116.17
Dentist $107.18 $99.13

Detailed La Mesa Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item La Mesa California
Gasoline $3.24 $2.22
Tire Balancing $56.47 $50.07

Detailed La Mesa Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item La Mesa California
All Electricity $247.56 $167.67
Phone $176.01 $175.64

La Mesa SnackAbility

8.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
9.5
Safety
6
Amenities
10
Education
8.5
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around La Mesa

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around La Mesa. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • San Diego, CA has a cost of living index of 150, 1.0x La Mesa.

  • El Cajon, CA has a cost of living index of 134, 0.9x La Mesa.

  • Santee, CA has a cost of living index of 136, 0.9x La Mesa.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. La Mesa
San Diego, CA 1,385,398 150 1.0x
El Cajon, CA 106,043 134 0.9x
Santee, CA 59,679 136 0.9x
Poway, CA 49,005 160 1.1x
La Presa, CA 38,492 128 0.9x
Lemon Grove, CA 27,513 133 0.9x
Rancho San Diego, CA 22,019 158 1.1x
Winter Gardens, CA 21,978 132 0.9x
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA 19,804 164 1.1x
Bostonia, CA 18,074 124 0.9x

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