2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Hilton Head Island, SC vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest or is it cheaper to live in Hilton Head Island?
- Lake Forest is 58.1% more expensive than Hilton Head Island.

Which city has more affordable housing, Lake Forest or Hilton Head Island?
- Lake Forest housing costs are 66.4% more expensive than Hilton Head Island housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Hilton Head Island or is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest.
- Health related expenses are 10.8% less in Lake Forest.
 Hilton Head Island, SCLake Forest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries106.9  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing180.3  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Utilities99  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock111.6100
 Miscellaneous95.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Hilton Head Island    21 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

Unfortunately Beaufort county is full of transplanted northerners who do nothing but whine and cry about everything. They leave the north to come to the south and then  More

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We got a second home on Hilton Head Island 10 years ago to get away from the Canadian winter weather. It took about 3 days to realize this is where we want to be  More

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I have watched HHI change remarkably in the 40 years I have lived there. Development really started in 1979 and the early residents were explorers and drop outs who  More

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Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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