2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
La Mesa, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest or is it cheaper to live in La Mesa?
- Lake Forest is 6.5% more expensive than La Mesa.

Which city has more affordable housing, Lake Forest or La Mesa?
- Lake Forest housing costs are 18.4% more expensive than La Mesa housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in La Mesa or is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest.
- Health related expenses are 4.9% more in Lake Forest.
 La Mesa, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries108.9  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing253.3  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Utilities107  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock111.6100
 Miscellaneous153.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for La Mesa    9 Reviews

The same San Diego prices and high taxes, but not the nice weather. 15 degrees hotter than the coast. Save the money and move to AZ if you like the climate in La Mesa.  More

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I now live in Wyoming but I was a third generation San Diegan, my maternal grandmother having been born on Coronado Island in 1894. If you are a new arrival to the  More

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I Need Correct Information I lived there Over 20 Years  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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