Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Memphis, TN: $2,501 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Memphis, TN
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Memphis, TN Living Index
192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,501

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Memphis, TN and in Costa Mesa, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Memphis, TN and in Costa Mesa, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Memphis, TN $2,501
Costa Mesa, CA $3,959

A couple spends around $3,673 per month in Memphis, TN vs $5,540 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Memphis, TN $3,673
Costa Mesa, CA $5,540

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Memphis, TN vs $7,121 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Memphis, TN $4,844
Costa Mesa, CA $7,121

Memphis, TN is about 37% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Memphis, TN and Costa Mesa, CA sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, Costa Mesa, CA by 193%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 $17.99

$19.85 $19.85

-9.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$78.6 $78.6

-5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$14.90 $14.90

-18.39%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.59 $5.59

1.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.40 $3.40

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.50 $2.50

-20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$7.32 $7.32

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.73 $9.73

-17.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.12 $1.12

-16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.01 $4.01

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.69 $4.69

-15.57%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$5.09 $5.09

-25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.82 $12.82

2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$20.19 $20.19

-43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.84 $18.84

$21.58 $21.58

-12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$5.01 $5.01

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.48 $2.48

-31.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$4.53 $4.53

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.80 $5.80

-14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$4.53 $4.53

-30.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.32 $2.32

79.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.16 $2.16

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.90 $1.90

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 $10.87

$11.60 $11.60

-6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 $12.94

$15.06 $15.06

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.01 $2.01

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.18 $4.18

-61.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.95 $1.95

-47.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.55 $38.55

$69.9 $69.9

-44.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$6.10 $6.10

-66.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.36 $20.36

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.47 $1.47

-30.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.3K $37.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

0.38%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$187 $187

$218 $218

-14.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$86.3 $86.3

$68.5 $68.5

25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$71.5 $71.5

6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.47 $31.47

$39.81 $39.81

-20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 $16.62

$12.21 $12.21

36.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$16.67 $16.67

-11.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,720 $1,720

$1,196 $1,196

43.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 $47.08

$57.1 $57.1

-17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 $33.58

$47.38 $47.38

-29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 $82.2

$93.2 $93.2

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$128 $128

21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$2,726 $2,726

-46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 $1,175

$2,467 $2,467

-52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$4,187 $4,187

-50.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$3,833 $3,833

-50.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 $1,755

$9,284 $9,284

-81.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 $1,351

$7,077 $7,077

-80.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,523 $3,523

$6,286 $6,286

-43.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.39

3.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Memphis, TN

$1.2K 47%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3% 110% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Memphis, TN

$404 16.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1% 18.9% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Memphis, TN

$349 14%

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9% 2.4% $8.4

Eating Out

Memphis, TN

$318 12.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9% 10.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Memphis, TN

$143 5.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7% 2.3% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Memphis, TN

$61 2.4%

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9% 20% $12

Getting Around

Memphis, TN

$52 2.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 62% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Memphis, TN versus $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Memphis, TN versus $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $480 – making Memphis, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

2 h behind Memphis, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

633,104

109,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Memphis, TN Costa Mesa, CA 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Memphis, TN
Costa Mesa, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Memphis, TN vs Costa Mesa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 58% more than Memphis, TN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,752 per month in Memphis, TN and $5,938 in Costa Mesa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Memphis, TN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Memphis, TN and $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,501 in Memphis, TN and $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Memphis, TN costs $2,501 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Memphis, TN. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.