Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Santa Ana, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Irvine, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Ana, CA. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 28.78% in Santa Ana, CA, so Santa Ana, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Santa Ana, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Ana, CA
28.78%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Irvine, CA and Santa Ana, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Ana, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Santa Ana, CA
  • Lower home prices: Santa Ana, CA
  • Higher median household income: Irvine, CA

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Ana, CA: 142.8 (U.S. = 100)

Santa Ana, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Irvine, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Ana, CA: $1,877/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $872/mo higher than in Santa Ana, CA.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Santa Ana, CA: $657,800

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $457,600 higher than in Santa Ana, CA.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Santa Ana, CA: $88,354

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Ana, CA by $41,293.

Irvine, CA overview · Santa Ana, CA overview · Popular comparisons