Utility Pages
Cost of Living · California

Long Beach Cost of Living

Long Beach, California costs approximately 18.0% above the US national average. Compare with 99 other major US cities.

1.18×
cost-of-living index (1.00 = US national average)
Long Beach ranks 6 of 13 cities in California by cost of living.
Cities MORE expensive than Long Beach (10)
San Francisco, CA
+22.9% more expensive
Oakland, CA
+14.4% more expensive
New York City, NY
+11.9% more expensive
Honolulu, HI
+10.2% more expensive
Irvine, CA
+10.2% more expensive
Los Angeles, CA
+3.4% more expensive
Boston, MA
+3.4% more expensive
San Diego, CA
+2.5% more expensive
Yonkers, NY
+1.7% more expensive
Anchorage, AK
+1.7% more expensive
Cities CHEAPER than Long Beach (86)
Chula Vista, CA
−2.5% cheaper
Miami, FL
−5.1% cheaper
Portland, OR
−6.8% cheaper
Newark, NJ
−6.8% cheaper
Sacramento, CA
−6.8% cheaper
Riverside, CA
−6.8% cheaper
Denver, CO
−8.5% cheaper
Chicago, IL
−11.0% cheaper
Austin, TX
−11.0% cheaper
Baltimore, MD
−11.0% cheaper
Stockton, CA
−11.0% cheaper
Aurora, CO
−11.0% cheaper
Hialeah, FL
−11.0% cheaper
Frisco, TX
−11.0% cheaper
Las Vegas, NV
−11.9% cheaper
Minneapolis, MN
−11.9% cheaper
Plano, TX
−11.9% cheaper
Chandler, AZ
−11.9% cheaper
Phoenix, AZ
−13.6% cheaper
Philadelphia, PA
−13.6% cheaper
Atlanta, GA
−13.6% cheaper
Tampa, FL
−13.6% cheaper
Henderson, NV
−13.6% cheaper
Reno, NV
−13.6% cheaper
Gilbert, AZ
−13.6% cheaper
Charleston, SC
−13.6% cheaper
Salt Lake City, UT
−13.6% cheaper
Orlando, FL
−14.4% cheaper
Wilmington, DE
−15.3% cheaper
Raleigh, NC
−15.3% cheaper
Virginia Beach, VA
−15.3% cheaper
St. Paul, MN
−15.3% cheaper
Chesapeake, VA
−15.3% cheaper
North Las Vegas, NV
−15.3% cheaper
Boise, ID
−15.3% cheaper
Fresno, CA
−15.3% cheaper
Worcester, MA
−15.3% cheaper
Dallas, TX
−16.1% cheaper
Nashville, TN
−16.1% cheaper
Colorado Springs, CO
−16.1% cheaper
Bakersfield, CA
−16.1% cheaper
St. Petersburg, FL
−16.1% cheaper
Madison, WI
−16.1% cheaper
Norfolk, VA
−16.9% cheaper
Jacksonville, FL
−17.8% cheaper
Charlotte, NC
−17.8% cheaper
Mesa, AZ
−17.8% cheaper
Houston, TX
−18.6% cheaper
Fort Worth, TX
−18.6% cheaper
Tucson, AZ
−18.6% cheaper
Glendale, AZ
−18.6% cheaper
Garland, TX
−18.6% cheaper
Spokane, WA
−18.6% cheaper
Pittsburgh, PA
−19.5% cheaper
Arlington, TX
−19.5% cheaper
Tallahassee, FL
−19.5% cheaper
Milwaukee, WI
−20.3% cheaper
Albuquerque, NM
−20.3% cheaper
New Orleans, LA
−20.3% cheaper
San Antonio, TX
−21.2% cheaper
Grand Rapids, MI
−21.2% cheaper
Columbus, OH
−22.0% cheaper
Detroit, MI
−22.0% cheaper
Cincinnati, OH
−22.0% cheaper
Kansas City, MO
−22.0% cheaper
Lexington, KY
−22.0% cheaper
Corpus Christi, TX
−22.0% cheaper
Buffalo, NY
−22.0% cheaper
Greensboro, NC
−22.0% cheaper
Knoxville, TN
−22.0% cheaper
El Paso, TX
−22.9% cheaper
Cleveland, OH
−22.9% cheaper
St. Louis, MO
−22.9% cheaper
Winston-Salem, NC
−22.9% cheaper
Indianapolis, IN
−23.7% cheaper
Louisville, KY
−23.7% cheaper
Omaha, NE
−23.7% cheaper
Memphis, TN
−24.6% cheaper
Oklahoma City, OK
−24.6% cheaper
Lincoln, NE
−24.6% cheaper
Birmingham, AL
−25.4% cheaper
Toledo, OH
−25.4% cheaper
Lubbock, TX
−25.4% cheaper
Wichita, KS
−27.1% cheaper
Fort Wayne, IN
−27.1% cheaper
Mobile, AL
−27.1% cheaper

What living in Long Beach costs

Long Beach runs at 1.18x the US national average — 10 of the 99 other metros tracked here cost more, 86 cost less. A one-bedroom goes for about $1,950 a month, or $23,400 a year, and the median home sits near $730,000.

The price-to-rent ratio here is roughly 31, which is high. Above about 20, renting and investing the down payment usually beats buying over a normal holding period — the purchase price is steep relative to what the same property earns as a rental.

Working and living here

Long Beach is a metro of roughly 0.5M and roughly flat, running on port/shipping logistics, aerospace, healthcare. Larger employers include Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Boeing (legacy C-17 site).

California taxes income at the state level, and Long Beach adds no separate city tax. Cost-of-living indexes exclude income tax entirely, so compare after-tax figures rather than index ratios when weighing this metro against one in a no-income-tax state.

Getting around: Long Beach is workable without a car in many neighborhoods. Going car-free is realistic in parts of the metro, which is worth roughly $9,000 a year against a car-dependent city at the same rent.

Climate: January highs near 66°F/lows near 48°F; July highs near 80°F/lows near 65°F, mild coastal climate with marine-layer fog.

Home to the Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest container ports in North America alongside neighboring Port of Los Angeles, handling a large share of US import volume.

Related tools

Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — pay by job and state. Compare against another metro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Long Beach expensive to live in?▾
Relative to the US average, yes — the cost index is 1.18x, above 86 and below 10 of the 99 other metros tracked here. A one-bedroom averages $1,950 a month and the median home $730,000.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Long Beach?▾
A common rule keeps rent under 30% of gross income, which at $1,950 a month implies about $78,000 a year for a one-bedroom. That is a floor rather than a comfortable figure — it leaves nothing for savings or the rest of the budget.