Moving to Anaheim? 2023 Living Costs & Relocation Tips

Photo by HarshLight

Anaheim is part of the Los Angeles metro area and is the largest city in Orange Country. It sits in between Los Angeles and San Diego and is known mainly for Disneyland but it has a lot more to offer anyone who decides to settle there.

If you are considering moving to Anaheim, the various costs listed below will help you make an informed decision on what costs are involved when moving and living in this city.

Quick Anaheim Facts:

Population: 340,081 (2017 estimate)
Official Language: English (de facto) with over 40 other languages being spoken. Spanish is widely spoken in Anaheim.
Wine: In the late 19^th century, Anaheim was the largest wine producer in California.
GDP Per Capita: $59,707 USD
Currency: US Dollar (US$). As of early 2017, £1 = $1.25, €1 = $1.08, $1 CAD = $0.75, $1 AUD = $0.77

Sections

1. Moving and Shipping Costs to Anaheim

Below are some sample container shipping costs to Anaheim from other major world cities. Just keep in mind they only reflect the shipping portion of the cost and not the full moving costs.

New York City – $773+
Canada (Toronto) – $1,265+
UK (London) – $1,461+
Australia (Sydney) – $1,030+
Ireland (Dublin) – $1,615+
New Zealand (Auckland) – $1,596+
Hong Kong – $1,068+
Dubai – $2,903+
Singapore – $1,966+

You can save money by comparing moving companies using our moving quote form above.

2. Anaheim Housing Costs

There’s a good selection of houses and apartments to buy and rent in Anaheim. They cost substantially less than major cities around the world. Anaheim Hills is the most upmarket area in the city and, of the reasonable areas, Northwest is the cheapest.

Monthly Rental Prices in Anaheim

1 bedroom apartment in City Centre: $975+
1 bedroom apartment outside the City Centre: $750+
3 bedroom apartment in City Centre: $1,750+
3 bedroom apartment outside the City Centre: $1,200+

Anaheim Home Purchase Prices

Price per square metre (10.7 square feet) to buy in City Centre: $4.011.35
Price per square metre (10.7 square feet) to buy outside City: $3,526.97

Anaheim Housing Cost Comparison

This is how rents in Anaheim compare with other cities around the globe.

London is 37.94% more expensive
New York is 97.34% more expensive
Los Angeles is 32.15% more expensive
Toronto is 21.50% cheaper
Sydney is 30.57% more expensive
Paris is 15.16% cheaper
Dubai is 44.08% more expensive
Source: Numbeo

How to Save on Housing Costs

Share an apartment or house. Sharing is a way to save on living expenses. You will probably have to share a bathroom but you will save at the end of the day. A cheaper option is to share a room. Have a look at the following sites to find your perfect roommate: Easyroommate, Kangaroom, Anaheim Roommates and Room Mates.
Different areas – different prices. At the top end of market is Anaheim Hills which has a lot of detached houses and is the most expensive area. The area with the densest population and lots of apartments is Southwest. The best areas are considered to be Anaheim Hills, Northeast, The Colony, Southwest, Southeast and Northwest.

3. Anaheim Food, Grocery and Restaurant Costs

Anaheim is the home of Disneyland so its restaurants and food stores naturally cater for families. There are lots of fast food restaurants as well more sophisticated eateries.

Inexpensive Restaurant: $8 – $20
Takeout Coffee: $2.00 – $5.00
Bottle of Coke: $1.00 – $2.75
1L of milk: $0.70 – $1.19
Loaf of Bread: $1.10 – $3.31
12 Eggs: $1.89 – $4.30
1kg Chicken: $4.00 – $13.21
1kg Beef: $5.84 – $15.41
1kg Apples: $1.96 – $6.61
1kg White Rice: $1.50 – $6.61

This is how restaurants and food prices compare with other major cities in the world.

London restaurants are 31.82% more expensive and groceries are 30.85% cheaper than Anaheim.
New York restaurants are 46.91% more expensive and groceries are 16.36% higher than Anaheim.
Los Angeles restaurants are 20.02% more expensive and groceries are 12.15% cheaper than Anaheim.
Toronto restaurants are 2.99% cheaper and groceries are 26.55% cheaper than Anaheim.
Sydney restaurants are 9.87% more expensive and groceries are 6.17% cheaper than Anaheim.
Paris restaurants are 20.51% more expensive and groceries are 10.75% cheaper than Anaheim.
Dubai restaurants are 5.62% cheaper and groceries are 32.72% cheaper than Anaheim.

Source: Numbeo

Bonus Tips for Cheaper Food, Restaurants and Groceries

Know your supermarkets: Anaheim has a number of independently owned grocery stores and ethnic stores as well as the usual supermarket chains. There are also farmers’ markets and shops which sell health foods and organic foods. Popular supermarkets are Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Vallarta and Wholesome Choice.
Find Cheap Eats: With a little bit of effort you can find places which offer excellent food at affordable prices. Have a look at TripAdvisor, Zomato and Foursquare

4. Anaheim Alcohol Costs

Anaheim has a large selection of bars and restaurants, especially given its size.

Pint (0.5L) domestic beer at a restaurant/pub: $4.50 – $6.00
Bottle of imported beer at a restaurant/pub: $4.00 – $8.00
Pint (0.5L) domestic beer at a supermarket: $1.00 – $1.19
Bottle of imported beer at a supermarket: $1.00 – $1.60
Mid-range bottle of wine at a supermarket: $4.00 – $15.00

How to drink for less in Anaheim

Keep an eye on the local papers and websites for specials over weekends and public holidays.
Many of the bars and restaurants in Anaheim have specials during the day as well as in the early and late evening. Have a look at Happy Hour Finder, Total Happy Hour, Visit Anaheim, Drink Owl and Four Square to find the best places to go to suit your taste and pocket.

5. Anaheim Transportation Fares

Photo by ZhengZhou

Anaheim’s and Orange County bus and train system connects the residential areas with Disneyworld and the Anaheim Resort Area. The buses are run by OCTA, the nationwide trains by AMTRAK and the local trains by OCTA. ART gives visitors easy access to shuttle services to hotels, attractions, shops and restaurants.

Here are some example ticket costs.

Adult Single Metro – $2.00
One day ticket – $5.50
Monthly season ticket, unlimited – $69

How to save money on public transport

Buy an OCTA bus pass and you will save on every journey
Buy a Weekend Pass Ticket – unlimited travel for $10 on Metrolink
Buy a bike. Depending on where you live and work, cycling around the city may be an option.
If you live relatively close to where you work, try walking.

6. Cost of Internet in Anaheim

Internet prices in the United States are expensive compared with many other countries in the world. Here are some sample broadband internet prices from early 2017 for unlimited downloads, based on a 12-month contract:

AT & T: From $40 a month (Data speed may slow after 22GB)
Spectrum: From $29.99 a month

7. Cost of Clothing, Personal Items, Gym and Leisure

Anaheim has a beautiful climate. December is the coldest month with an average low of 46°F (8°C) and an average high of 70°F (21°C). August is the hottest months with highs of 90°F (32°C). There is an average of 13 inches (341mm) of rain per annum, falling over an average of 32 days.

Here are some clothing prices, together with other useful prices.

Pair of Jeans: $30 – $60
Summer Dress: $18 – $50
Running Shoes (Trainers): $50 – $100
Business Shoes: $49 – $150
Short Doctor’s visit (15 mins): $120
Deodorant: $4.09
Shampoo: $4.21
Toilet Paper (4 rolls): $3.97
Gym membership: $21-$40 per month
Movie (cinema) ticket: $9.50-$15

Source: Numbeo

8. Cost of Owning a Car and Driving a Car in Anaheim

Driving in Anaheim is fine but it can be busy during the rush hour.

If you’re moving to Anaheim from within the US, you’ll be able to keep your license but need to update your address to your new one.

You can drive on a foreign license for up to 12 months as a tourist but after that you will need to get an American license. If you are working or studying in the US, you can drive on your foreign license for 30 days. If you want to exchange your foreign driver’s license you have to follow the process here.

Here are some other sample costs of owning and operating a car in Anaheim:

Volkswagen Golf: $20,497.50
1 litre (¼ gallon) of gas (petrol): $0.75
Other fees (if any): The average cost of state and local taxes, license, title and registration fees is $665 per annum

Source: AAA Study

Ways to save money driving in Anaheim

Car sharing or pooling is one way to save money. Try Car Pool World, eRide and OCTA.
Taxis can sometimes be a cheaper option, especially if you are going to have to park all day. Try Uber and Lyft.

Need your car/vehicle moved to Anaheim? Then read our guide to: Car Transport & Vehicle Shipping

9. Taxes in Anaheim

No matter where you live in the State, you will pay federal and state taxes. To learn more about the different taxes in the States go to Immihelp, USA taxes and California Franchise Tax Board.

Sales Tax in Annaheim is 8% and is added to most goods and services. Generally, the price you see on an item does not include sales tax.

If you own your home, you will be subject to property tax based on the area in which you live and the size of the property you live in. Learn more about property tax in Anaheim at Property Tax.

Finally, if you decide to buy a apartment or house in Anaheim you’ll have to pay real estate transfer tax.

10. Flight Costs from Anaheim

LAX is the nearest airport to Anaheim. If you do make the move to Anaheim, here’s approximately how much it will cost to fly to other major world cities based on lowest, one-way fares from Skyscanner as of early 2017:

London: $143
New York: $116
Toronto: $132
Vancouver: $78
Dubai: $308
Sydney: $482
Melbourne: $497
Cape Town: $625
Hong Kong: $364

Other Anaheim Relocation Tips

The costs and pricing above should give you a good idea of the cost of living in Anaheim but perhaps the following extra tips will make your move go smoothly.

11. Relocating to Anaheim Alone

Moving anywhere can be a lonely experience, but moving to a new city can be rather daunting. Here are a few tips about settling in Anaheim.

Meetups: Meet people with the same interests as you through Meetup. There are many groups with a wide range of interests, from those who are Disney fans to those who want to spend their evenings playing chess or bridge.
Attend local events:There’s always plenty going on in Anaheim. Have a look at the following sites to find events you would like to attend – Visit Anaheim, Eventbrite, Yelp, 10Times and Eventful.

12.Moving to Anaheim with a Family

Anaheim obviously has a lot to attract families. What child doesn’t want to live near Disneyland?

New parents (or parents to be): Check out Anaheim Clinic or OC Mommies for advice, courses and ways to meet other parents or parents to be.
Live in a family friendly area: The Colony is a residential area where it’s considered safe to walk to school, work and to the shops. Southwest Anaheim is the home of Disneyland and it is also considered a walkable suburb and has some good schools. Northwest Anaheim is also a suburb which should be considered by those with families.
Find things to do with the kids: There’s plenty to do in Anaheim apart from going to Disneyland. Have a look at the following websites to see which activities your kids would enjoy – Mommypoppins, Family Days Out and Trip Buzz.

13. Moving to Anaheim for Work

Photo by Arnold C

Moving to Anaheim for work is one of the most common reasons people choose to move here. While it is possible to move without a job, it makes sense to ensure there are jobs in your field before you make the move.

Tourism and the service industries are obviously the biggest employers in this city.

Here are a few things to consider when moving for work:

Salary: The costs we outlined above should give you a rough idea, how much more you’ll want to be making to make the move worthwhile. You can also check salary ranges on sites such as Glassdoor and Payscale.
How to find work: If you want to have a job lined up before you move to Anaheim, but aren’t sure where to begin, the following sites are good places to start: Monster, Indeed, Snag a Job and Career Builder. You may also want to google recruiters in your industry, as they can often help land you some initial interviews as well.

14. Moving to Anaheim from Australia

There are around 25,000 Australians living in Los Angeles and a few living in Anaheim. If you are thinking of moving from Australia to Anaheim, here are a few things to consider.

Size comparison: If you compare the population size of Anaheim with a city in Australia, then the closest would be Central Coast.
Join expat groups:Meetup and InterNations offer ways of meeting up with other Australians in Anaheim.

15. Moving to Anaheim from Canada

There are over 22,000 Canadians living and working in Los Angeles and few just down the road in Anaheim. If you’re considering making the move from Canada here are a few things to consider.

Size: Anaheim has around the same number of people living in it as Victoria, British Columbia.
Expat groups: Meeting up with fellow Canadians helps the moving process. Link up through sites such as Canadians in OC, Internations and Canadians Abroad.

16. Moving to Anaheim from the United Kingdom

Orange county and Los Angeles both attract a lot of people from the UK. If you are thinking of joining them, here are a few bonus tips:

Size: If you compare population size, then Anaheim is around the same size as Bradford in the UK.
Expat groups: If you want to get together with others from the UK who are experiencing Anaheim, then go to Meetup and Internations.

Hopefully, the tips and costs above are helpful. If want to get started pricing out how much it will cost you to move to Anaheim you can start by comparing moving quotes here.

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