Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Irvine, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Irvine, CA is 4.6% lower than in San Diego, CA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Irvine, CA is 5.4% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Irvine, CA are 6.6% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Irvine, CA are 4.9% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Irvine, CA are 0.5% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Irvine, CA is 17.8% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
Restaurants | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 96.00 $ | 100.00 $ | +4.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 $ | 10.00 $ | -33.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.00 $ | 8.85 $ | -1.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.91 $ | 5.55 $ | -6.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.00 $ | 2.67 $ | -11.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.50 $ | 2.08 $ | -16.8 % |
Markets | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.71 $ | 4.62 $ | -2.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.11 $ | 5.06 $ | +23.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.12 $ | 2.13 $ | +0.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.37 $ | 4.50 $ | -16.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.38 $ | 5.65 $ | -11.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.85 $ | 7.86 $ | +34.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.88 $ | 6.60 $ | -25.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.27 $ | 2.90 $ | +27.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.78 $ | 0.82 $ | +5.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.89 $ | 1.75 $ | -7.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.17 $ | 2.48 $ | +14.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.40 $ | 1.47 $ | +4.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.11 $ | 1.36 $ | +23.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.38 $ | 2.12 $ | -10.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.48 $ | 2.20 $ | -11.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.07 $ | 1.73 $ | -16.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 2.50 $ | 4.62 $ | +84.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.00 $ | 9.63 $ | -19.7 % |
Transportation | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 72.00 $ | 72.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 4.50 $ | +50.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.30 $ | 3.00 $ | -9.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 28.00 $ | 36.00 $ | +28.6 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.82 $ | 4.77 $ | -0.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,965.00 $ | 28,500.00 $ | -10.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,475.95 $ | 26,815.74 $ | +1.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 281.68 $ | 209.46 $ | -25.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 67.95 $ | 66.67 $ | -1.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.71 $ | 72.38 $ | -11.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 70.00 $ | 54.17 $ | -22.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 25.00 $ | 13.33 $ | -46.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.00 $ | 14.00 $ | -12.5 % |
Childcare | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,750.00 $ | 1,841.67 $ | +5.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 28,750.00 $ | 40,160.00 $ | +39.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 59.94 $ | 69.00 $ | +15.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 53.67 $ | 40.75 $ | -24.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 103.40 $ | 77.00 $ | -25.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 122.69 $ | 156.00 $ | +27.1 % |
Rent Per Month | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,830.18 $ | 2,718.57 $ | -3.9 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,398.08 $ | 2,375.00 $ | -1.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,105.04 $ | 4,575.00 $ | -10.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,176.19 $ | 3,890.00 $ | -6.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 878.16 $ | 772.83 $ | -12.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 657.79 $ | 755.49 $ | +14.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Diego, CA Edit |
Irvine, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,283.50 $ | 5,887.74 $ | +11.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.40 | 6.71 | +4.8 % |
| Last update: | 6 July 2025 | 27 June 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 154 | 47 |
Moving to San Diego, CA? Explore:
Moving to Irvine, CA? Explore:
Cities near San Diego, CA: | Cost of Living in Dana Point, California | 65.05 miles |
| Cost of Living in Irvine, California | 84.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Ana, California | 89.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westminster, California | 94.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Huntington Beach, California | 95.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Anaheim, California | 96.10 miles |
| Cost of Living in Riverside, California | 101.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Long Beach, California | 105.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Bernardino, California | 106.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fontana, California | 108.10 miles |
Cities near Irvine, CA: | Cost of Living in Santa Ana, California | 7.64 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westminster, California | 14.99 miles |
| Cost of Living in Anaheim, California | 15.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Huntington Beach, California | 16.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dana Point, California | 21.49 miles |
| Cost of Living in Long Beach, California | 25.68 miles |
| Cost of Living in Riverside, California | 37.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Los Angeles, California | 40.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hermosa Beach, California | 41.79 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fontana, California | 46.58 miles |