2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert?
- Lake Forest is 25.7% more expensive than Palm Desert.

Which city has more affordable housing, Lake Forest or Palm Desert?
- Lake Forest housing costs are 91.6% more expensive than Palm Desert housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Palm Desert or is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest.
- Health related expenses are 7.0% more in Lake Forest.
 Palm Desert, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries99.6  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing156.6  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Utilities110  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock111.6100
 Miscellaneous112.1  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Palm Desert    14 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

Palm Desert, CA is full of rude people. One woman in a long sleeved pink shirt is being extremely rude and mocking people for no reason at a neighborhood Walmart in Palm  More

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Palm Desert is clean, upscale and beautiful. The views of the Santa Rosa Mountains bright blue sky and green expanses of golf course fairways, swimming pools and  More

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I made the mistake of moving here after a short vacation to be closer to family. Biggest mistake of my life! This is not the place to live if health is important to you.  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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