Apartments for Rent in Costa Mesa, CA

Prices and availability in Costa Mesa, CA were last updated on 26 Aug 2026.

The best apartments in Costa Mesa, CA are: Mediterranean Village Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Family Village, Azulon at Mesa Verde, a 55+ Apartment Community, Eastside Haven at 17th and Park Mesa Villas.

The average rent in Costa Mesa, CA is $2,812.

The price range for a studio apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,275 and $7,287.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $1,467 and $5,974.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,275 and $7,919.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,705 and $7,287.

In Costa Mesa, 60% of the residents are renting compared to 40% owning a home, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Large-scale apartment buildings with more than 50 units represent 20% of Costa Mesa's rentals, 61% are small-scale complexes with under 50 units, and 18% are single-family rentals.

The age and size of multifamily buildings are among the most visible characteristics of the rental market in a city. In this case, the apartment buildings in Costa Mesa are about 41 years old, on average. Of these, 19% have been built since 2000, representing the newer options on the market and typically offering more amenities. Rental buildings in the city have an average height of 3 stories. About 93% of the rental communities here are low-rise, garden-style communities, 7% are mid-rises, and 2% are high-rise buildings. These are true especially for large-scale multifamily buildings with over 50 apartments.

Rental apartments in Costa Mesa come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 7% of units for rent, ideal for singles, renters on a budget and people who value central locations more than space. Rentals with 1-bedroom floorplans make up 50% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 39% of all rentals in Costa Mesa. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.