Santa Ana, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Santa Ana, CA Summary

Cost of living in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana is 154, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Santa Ana is 1.5x higher than the national average.

  • Santa Ana ranks as the #340 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Santa Ana ranks as the #5,792 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Santa Ana is $838,228.

  • The median income in Santa Ana is $88,354.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
154
Santa Ana's Overall Cost Of Living
1.5x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Santa Ana, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Ana has an overall cost of living index of 154, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Santa Ana has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Santa Ana ranks as #340 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Ana ranks as the #294 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Santa Ana, check out:

340 out of 634
In California
5,792 out of 6,489
In America

Santa Ana Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Ana. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Santa Ana is 113.

  • The Groceries index in Santa Ana is 114.

  • The Health index in Santa Ana is 100.

  • The Housing index in Santa Ana is 251.

  • The Transportation index in Santa Ana is 122.

  • The Utilities index in Santa Ana is 95.

Living Expense Santa Ana California National Average
Overall 154 141 100
Services 113 110 100
Groceries 114 112 100
Health 100 110 100
Housing 251 195 100
Transportation 122 125 100
Utilities 95 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Santa Ana Cost of Living Vs. CA

Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana is $838,228.

  • The Median Rent in Santa Ana is $1,975.

  • The Median Income in Santa Ana is $88,354.

  • The Home Value To Income in Santa Ana is 9.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Ana is 0.27x.

Statistic Santa Ana California United States
Median Home Value $838,228 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,975 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $88,354 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 9.5x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.27x 0.24x 0.21x
$838,228
Median Home Value
$1,975
Median Rent
$88,354
Median Income

Santa Ana, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Santa Ana Services Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Ana California
Shampoo $1.34 $1.28
Movie $11.04 $12.13
Bowling $21.11 $18
Haircut $27.27 $24.26
Beauty Salon $41.78 $45.56

Detailed Santa Ana Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Ana California
Ground Beef $5.89 $5.84
Fried Chicken $3.49 $1.57
Milk $4.92 $4.67
Potatoes $4.92 $4.93
Pizza $15.31 $12.09
Beer $10.26 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.61 $3.7

Detailed Santa Ana Health Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Ana California
Optometrist $112.92 $125.68
Doctor $95.5 $135.78
Dentist $117.28 $113.29

Detailed Santa Ana Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Ana California
Gasoline $4.75 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.38 $59.92

Detailed Santa Ana Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Ana California
All Electricity $378.97 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Santa Ana SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
8
Safety
5
Amenities
10
Education
4
Commute
7

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Ana

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Ana. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Irvine, CA has a cost of living index of 198, 1.3x Santa Ana.

  • Garden Grove, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.0x Santa Ana.

  • Orange, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 1.1x Santa Ana.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Santa Ana
Irvine, CA 308,160 198 1.3x
Garden Grove, CA 170,603 160 1.0x
Orange, CA 138,723 170 1.1x
Costa Mesa, CA 110,538 186 1.2x
Mission Viejo, CA 92,415 184 1.2x
Westminster, CA 90,147 164 1.1x
Lake Forest, CA 85,846 175 1.1x
Lakewood, CA 80,510 164 1.1x
Tustin, CA 79,035 176 1.1x
Fountain Valley, CA 56,358 186 1.2x

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