Cost of Living in Irvine CA

[Death4Hire]

Hello. Is anyone here living in Irvine, CA? I wish to know how the cost of living there. Near-specific (estimations) on the numbers involved are greatly appreciated.

[synthia]

Welcome to the forum, but that's a really scary handle you have there!

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by synthia

Welcome to the forum, but that's a really scary handle you have there!

Yeah .... careful how you moderate him

[Death4Hire]

Hehe about my handle... long story. Hope you guys don't think of it too literally.

So, anybody here have any idea?

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Death4Hire

Hehe about my handle... long story. Hope you guys don't think of it too literally.

So, anybody here have any idea?

Pest exterminator?

[Death4Hire]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

Pest exterminator?

LOL. Nice try. I wish I could tell you the history of my handle. If I did, I'd have to kill you.

Seriously, I'm referring to the topic. Anybody here can give specific numbers or estimates for the cost of living in Irvine CA? To be specific, for someone who's male and single, and still young career.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Death4Hire

LOL. Nice try. I wish I could tell you the history of my handle. If I did, I'd have to kill you.

Seriously, I'm referring to the topic. Anybody here can give specific numbers or estimates for the cost of living in Irvine CA? To be specific, for someone who's male and single, and still young career.

Cant help you there .... Its been a while since I've been to California .... compared to the UK of course its much much cheaper, but then again most places are!

[ZARTAN]

the rent is high, but everything else is cheap. as you would see in britain. a pair of socks at asda will cost you the same whether you are in leeds or london. same thing with a burger at mcdonalds. so it wont matter if youre in alabama or california. a burger and a pair of socks will cost the same. the difference will be in the rent. in usa, you have walmart and they pretty much sell everything from glasses to cups to computers, and their prices are pretty standard throughout. walmart will even do your taxes for you. how bout that.

theres a website where you can look at rentals.
Move,com

it actually has a lot of other info on moving.

[synthia]

California had a big jump in housing prices over the past few years, and the current housing slump has not even come close to wiping out those increase.

I don't agree that the same item in the same chain store costs the same no matter where you are in the US. If you buy at a store in NYC, the price must be adjusted to cover higher rent and labor costs. But in California, the killer will be housing.

[JohnSoCal]

I live less than an hour away from Irvine and am very familiar with it. The cost of living depends a great deal on your lifestyle. Irvine is part of a very large metro area with several million people. You should also check the various cities that adjoin Irvine or are close to it.

When you say the cost of living, what are you comparing it with? Irvine is definitely expensive compared to most areas of the US. Food costs will be slightly higher than most of the US. Manufactured goods and clothing are pretty well the same cost anywhere in the country. Gasoline is more expensive than most areas but utilities are cheaper, mainly due to the moderate climate. The big difference is in the cost of housing. Typical rent for an apartment will range for $750-2500+ /mo. My son in law pays $1250.00 /mo for a 2BR, 2BA in Irvine. Don't count on the $750.00 apartment because they are rare but do exist. Home prices have been falling and will probably continue to do so for another year or so. However, they are still pretty expensive. The median price for a 3BR home in Irvine is approximately $650,000. One thing to bear in mind that newer homes in Southern California tend to be larger than most areas.

Below is a good link for info about Irvine.

Irvine, CA real estate guide - Trulia.com