Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 27.93% in Oakland, CA, so Oakland, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $928/mo higher than in Oakland, CA.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Oakland, CA: $924,700

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $190,700 higher than in Oakland, CA.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Oakland, CA: $97,369

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Oakland, CA by $32,278.

Irvine, CA overview · Oakland, CA overview · Popular comparisons