Question 1

Is Anaheim or Long Beach cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Long Beach, CA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $427/month less than in Anaheim, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $3,236/mo in Anaheim versus $2,903/mo in Long Beach.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Anaheim vs Long Beach?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $115,000/year before tax in Anaheim, CA and $105,000/year in Long Beach, CA — a difference of about $10,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Anaheim or Long Beach cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Long Beach, the same answer as for a single person. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $13,947/month in Anaheim and $12,156/month in Long Beach, including county-median childcare.

Question 4

Should I move to Anaheim or Long Beach?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Long Beach costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Anaheim52	Long Beach48
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,739	$5,312
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$13,947	$12,156
Salary for comfort	$115,000/yr	$105,000/yr
Typical rent	$3,236	$2,903
Median home value	$771,700	$762,200
Median household income	$90,583	$83,969
Unemployment	4.1%	5.2%
Housing score	4	4
Jobs score	48	22
Safety score	55	41
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	80	91
Population	344.6K	458.5K
Summer high / winter low	83° / 45°	82° / 46°

Anaheim, CA vs Long Beach, CA