Apartments for Rent in Costa Mesa, CA

Prices and availability in Costa Mesa, CA were last updated on 19 May 2026.

The best apartments in Costa Mesa, CA are: Mediterranean Village Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Family Village, Newport Palms Apartments, South Pointe and 2168 Placentia Avenue.

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

The price range for a studio apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,280 and $7,738.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $1,197 and $7,146.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $1,800 and $7,970.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,699 and $7,969.

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 average age of rental buildings in Costa Mesa is 41 years old, with 19% being newer apartment buildings completed since 2000. The average height of apartment buildings in the city is 3 stories, of which 93% are garden-style apartment communities, 7% are mid-sized buildings, and 2% are high-rises. These characteristics describe large-scale apartment communities of 50 apartments or more.

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.