Apartments for Rent in Costa Mesa, CA

Prices and availability in Costa Mesa, CA were last updated on 31 May 2026.

The best apartments in Costa Mesa, CA are: Costa Mesa Family Village, Mediterranean Village Costa Mesa, Baywind Apartment Homes, Fox Hollow Village Townhomes and The Village at South Coast.

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

The price range for a studio apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,350 and $3,600.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $1,197 and $5,315.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,222 and $8,689.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa, CA is between $2,699 and $5,800.

In Costa Mesa 60% of the housing is rented out compared to 40% of homes are owned, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimates. 20% of Costa Mesa's apartments are found in large buildings of 50 units or more, 61% are located in smaller apartment complexes with less than 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.