How Much Does It Cost to Live In Irvine, CA?
Irvine is a city located in Orange County, California.
The whole city is owned and maintained constantly by the Irvine company and, according to the people who live there, they do a fantastic job at keeping it clean and safe.
Like most cities in California, if you’re a fan of hot sunny weather, it’s the place for you – since there are many sunny and hot days here.
The cost of living depends largely on your own lifestyle and standard of living but it’s reasonable compared to other parts of California.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
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- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Eating out isn’t too expensive, especially compared to, for instance, Fresno.
Plus, there are a few places that offer happy hours.
You can find all kinds of good cuisines and food places here.
Usually, people that are not well off do not eat in fancy restaurants, since a meal in an inexpensive restaurant here will cost you around 20$.
MARKETS
You have plenty of markets in Irvine that have different offers and prices.
Costco is great and you can save a lot. Walmart also has good prices.
Wholefoods, as expected, has prices that are through the roof, but it has the best vegetables and fish.
Your best bet is probably to buy the meat in Costco and the vegetables and fruit in Wholefoods.
A single person should spend weekly no more than $230-$250.
TRANSPORTATION
As in all suburbs, it is extremely difficult to get around without a car, and if you have one, count on consuming a tank per week which can roughly cost $35–40.
Also if you take an Uber, you’ll save lots of money.
If you are not far away from work, you can just take the bicycle although Irvine can be difficult sometimes for pedestrians and bicycles.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities vary but you can calculate a rough $170 per month which includes paying for trash, water, and sewer.
There are other costs such as apartment insurance and others.
Still, don’t forget that the price of utilities does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Practicing sports or going to the gym in Irvine is rather expensive.
A gym or a fitness club membership will cost you around 55$.
The entertainment is terrible here for single people, so if you’re single add extra fuel costs to get to Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, San Diego, or Los Angeles county.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Irvine offers many shopping opportunities, like South Coast Plaza, the largest shopping mall in Costa Mesa.
If you’re set on shopping in Irvine, you should get familiar with the prices right away.
Quality jeans will cost you around 70$, and you won’t find any good running sneakers without cashing out close to 92$.
RENT PER MONTH
Renting an apartment is very expensive in Irvine, especially in comparison to other Californian cities like Fresno.
A one-bedroom apartment in the city will cost you well over 2000$, but you could also get a fantastic apartment for 2600$, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room along with a washer, drier, and fridge.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Irvine, CA
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $20.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $7.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $2.38 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.12 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $4.57 |
| Eggs (12) | $5.50 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $67.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.36 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $167.22 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $68.7 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $55.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $37.50 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $17.50 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $68.50 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $32.50 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $92.86 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $2598.93 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $2497.22 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $4391.25 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Irvine, CA?
Not surprisingly, for a popular city in California where rent is through the roof, the biggest expense of living in Irvine is rent.
Rent takes up over 40% of all income, and that just goes to show how expensive rent is in this city.
Food is definitely the next biggest expense for anyone living in Irvine – though this is the situation in most countries around the world.
Food is an everyday necessity and when it’s not cheap, it amounts to a high monthly expense.
Other significant expenses for the people of Irvine are restaurants and transportation, but the most interesting part is that more money gets spent on sports and leisure than on utilities.
Average Costs Breakdown
Irvine, CA: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
If you have any qualifications related to agriculture, you probably will find a good job, since agriculture is big here.
There are many new open jobs in Irvine, and it’s a city with many opportunities, but also high prices, even for a Californian city.
The usual minimum wage is around 1900$ which is a decent minimum wage and most people can earn for a normal life.
An average monthly salary in Irvine is around 6000$ which is absolutely enough for a comfortable life in this city and generally, in California as such.
Irvine Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Irvine Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
