La Mesa, CA Cost Of Living
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 160, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in La Mesa is 1.6x higher than the national average.
La Mesa ranks as the #377 cheapest in California out of 634.
La Mesa ranks as the #5,900 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in La Mesa is $864,315.
The median income in La Mesa is $84,337.
Table Of Contents
La Mesa's Overall Cost Of Living
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 160, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, La Mesa has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in La Mesa ranks as #377 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies La Mesa ranks as the #257 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in La Mesa, check out:
In California
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 114.
The Groceries index in La Mesa is 114.
The Health index in La Mesa is 105.
The Housing index in La Mesa is 264.
The Transportation index in La Mesa is 128.
The Utilities index in La Mesa is 108.
| Living Expense | La Mesa | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 160 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 105 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 264 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 108 | 128 | 100 | |
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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in La Mesa is $864,315.
The Median Rent in La Mesa is $1,958.
The Median Income in La Mesa is $84,337.
The Home Value To Income in La Mesa is 10.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in La Mesa is 0.28x.
| Statistic | La Mesa | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $864,315 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,958 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $84,337 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.2x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
La Mesa, CA Costs By Category
Detailed La Mesa Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | La Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.5 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.89 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.92 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.77 | $45.56 |
Detailed La Mesa Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | La Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.05 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.98 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.25 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
Detailed La Mesa Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | La Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
Detailed La Mesa Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | La Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
Detailed La Mesa Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | La Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
La Mesa SnackAbility
/10
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 170, 1.1x La Mesa.
El Cajon, CA has a cost of living index of 147, 0.9x La Mesa.
Santee, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 0.9x La Mesa.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. La Mesa |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,385,061 | 170 | 1.1x |
| El Cajon, CA | 104,909 | 147 | 0.9x |
| Santee, CA | 59,485 | 149 | 0.9x |
| Poway, CA | 48,515 | 176 | 1.1x |
| La Presa, CA | 36,669 | 143 | 0.9x |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 27,489 | 144 | 0.9x |
| Rancho San Diego, CA | 22,264 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Winter Gardens, CA | 22,003 | 145 | 0.9x |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 19,651 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Bostonia, CA | 16,545 | 141 | 0.9x |
