Our guide to the best neighborhoods in Long Beach touched on home prices ranging from East Village’s $447,000 median up to Naples’ multi-million-dollar canal-front estates, and housing genuinely drives most of what makes Long Beach expensive. Let’s break it down category by category, starting with the full monthly snapshot.
| Category | Typical Monthly Cost (Single Person) | Vs. National Average |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (1BR) | $1,700 to $2,988 | +104% to +135% (housing category) |
| Groceries | $350 to $450 | +9% to +15% |
| Utilities | $168 to $300 | +7% to +11% |
| Transportation | $69 (transit pass) to $500+ (with a car) | +37% to +39% |
| Healthcare | Close to national average | -4% to +1% |
| Total (single person) | $3,383/month | +37% to +50% |
Major Expenses in Long Beach: A Breakdown
Housing: The Category Driving Everything
Housing is where Long Beach’s cost of living gap becomes most visible, running 104% to 135% above the national average by most measures. A one-bedroom apartment averages $1,700 to $2,786 depending on the source and neighborhood, and the median home price runs $789,000 to $877,000. Our neighborhood guide breaks this down further, East Village and Lakewood Village both offer real value under $700,000, while Belmont Shore and Naples push well past $1 million.
Groceries
Groceries run consistently 9% to 15% above the national average across the sources that track it, a real premium that adds up over time. Budget around $350 to $450 a month for a single adult, with an inexpensive restaurant meal running about $20 per person.
Utilities
Utilities run 7% to 11% above the national average, a moderate but consistent premium across sources. Electricity specifically runs $80 to $150 a month, climbing higher in summer with air conditioning use, and Southern California Edison rates increase with usage, making energy efficiency genuinely worth pursuing here.
Transportation
Transportation is Long Beach’s steepest non-housing premium, running 37% to 39% above the national average across every source that tracks it, a strikingly consistent finding. Gas prices and general vehicle costs drive most of this gap. A monthly Long Beach Transit pass runs $69, a real bargain compared to the cost of car ownership, insurance, and parking most residents otherwise absorb.
Healthcare
Healthcare is a genuine bright spot, running close to the national average, from about 4% below to 1% above depending on the source, one of the more manageable categories in an otherwise expensive city. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and other major hospitals anchor a strong regional healthcare system.
How Much Income You Actually Need
Salary.com’s baseline estimate puts a single person’s monthly costs around $3,383, or roughly $40,600 annually, before accounting for housing choices at the higher end of the neighborhood spectrum. Given the citywide median household income sits around $87,430, many established local households comfortably clear that baseline, though newcomers relocating from a lower cost-of-living area should budget carefully around transportation and housing specifically, the two categories carrying the steepest premiums covered here. California’s state income tax, which scales up to 13.3% for top earners, applies on top of these figures and is worth factoring into any salary comparison against a lower-tax state.
Final Thoughts on the Cost of Living in Long Beach
Long Beach’s cost of living runs well above the national average, driven by housing and, unusually for a city this size, transportation, which carries one of the steepest and most consistently reported premiums in this entire series. Healthcare stands out as a genuine exception, running close to the national average even as almost every other category runs meaningfully higher. Narrow down your target neighborhood first, since the gap between East Village’s relative affordability and Naples’ canal-front premium will shape your actual monthly budget more than any other single factor covered here.