Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
California
Irvine is a supplemental starter city profile for the premium Orange County family and jobs market in California, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
California
San Diego is a premium coastal California market with military, healthcare, biotech, and tourism demand shaping housing costs and wage-fit questions.
Comparison
San Diego has the lower salary-needed estimate, while San Diego has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as San Diego minus Irvine.
| Metric | Irvine | San Diego | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,300 | $3,136 | -$164 | San Diego | San Diego has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $1,566,872 | $1,018,400 | -$548,472 | San Diego | San Diego has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $358/mo | $454/mo | +$96/mo | Irvine | Irvine has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 120 | 124 | +4 | Irvine | Irvine has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $135,188 | $117,680 | -$17,508 | San Diego | San Diego has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 55/100 | 56/100 | +1 | San Diego | San Diego has the higher move score. |