The Monthly Costs To Live in 50 Popular Retirement Spots
Want to retire in one of the 50 most popular retirement spots in the United States? You’ll need a substantial nest egg to do it. A new MoneyLion study reveals the comfortable costs for retirement in the nation’s 50 most popular locales exceeds $11,000 per month -- even with Social Security benefits.
To find the monthly costs of living in the nation’s most popular retirement cities, MoneyLion referred to the U.S. Census American Community Survey to isolate cities with populations of at least 5,000 and 20% of people ages 65 and over. Each city’s total cost of living was calculated using mortgage and expenditure data, and a 20% buffer was added to the cost of necessities to find the comfortable cost of retirement.
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Key Findings
Palm Beach, Florida, is the most expensive city on the list. About 63.5% of the city's 9,348 residents are retired, and the monthly cost of a comfortable retirement is an eye-popping $71,191. This is largely because houses in Palm Beach average over $10 million, and the mortgage payment on such a house is nearly $59,000 a month.
The comfortable cost of retirement exceeds $40,000 monthly in the top five cities. Besides Palm Beach at No. 1, the remaining locales are based in California and include Atherton ($56,971), Los Altos Hills ($42,302), Montecito ($42,106) and Beverly Hills ($40,395).
California dominated the ranking with 39 cities: Atherton (#2), Los Altos Hills (#3), Montecito (#4), Beverly Hills (#5), Hillsborough (#6), Los Altos (#7), Newport Beach (#8), Saratoga (#9), Woodside (#10), Malibu (#11), Tiburon (#13), Laguna Beach (#15), Coronado (#16), Los Gatos (#17), Kentfield (#18), San Marino (#19), Palos Verdes Estates (#20), Solana Beach (#22), Alamo (#23), Larkspur (#24), Piedmont (#25), Villa Park (#27), Mill Valley (#28), Millbrae (#29), Rolling Hills Estates (#30), Orinda (#31), Lafayette (#32), Santa Barbara (#33), Sausalito (#35), Dana Point (#36), Rancho Palos Verdes (#37), San Clemente (#38), Carpinteria (#39), Ladera Heights (#40), Westlake Village (#43), St. Helena (#44), North Tustin (#45), San Anselmo (#48) and Laguna Niguel (#49).
If you have paid off your home, the average cost of a comfortable retirement will be no more than $6,000 in all but about a handful of states.
Ranked from most to least expensive, take a look at the monthly costs (including mortgage) associated with living in these 50 popular U.S. retirement spots.
1. Palm Beach, Florida
% of population 65+: 63.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $58,979
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $71,191
Livability: 69
2. Atherton, California
% of population 65+: 25.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $47,129
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $56,971
Livability: 79
3. Los Altos Hills, California
% of population 65+: 30.9%
Monthly cost of necessities: $34,905
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $42,302
Livability: 67
4. Montecito, California
% of population 65+: 33.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $34,742
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $42,106
Livability: 68
5. Beverly Hills, California
% of population 65+: 25.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $33,316
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $40,395
Livability: 76
6. Hillsborough, California
% of population 65+: 20.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $31,233
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $37,896
Livability: 68
7. Los Altos, California
% of population 65+: 20.8%
Monthly cost of necessities: $27,493
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $33,408
Livability: 83
8. Newport Beach, California
% of population 65+: 24.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $25,021
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $30,441
Livability: 76
9. Saratoga, California
% of population 65+: 26.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $24,625
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $29,966
Livability: 81
10. Woodside, California
% of population 65+: 23.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $23,043
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $28,068
Livability: 61
11. Malibu, California
% of population 65+: 31.8%
Monthly cost of necessities: $21,980
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $26,793
Livability: 53
12. Paradise Valley, Arizona
% of population 65+: 32.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $21,030
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $25,653
Livability: 62
13. Tiburon, California
% of population 65+: 27.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $19,734
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $24,096
Livability: 70
14. Cherry Hills Village, Colorado
% of population 65+: 22.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $18,362
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $22,450
Livability: 68
15. Laguna Beach, California
% of population 65+: 30.1%
Monthly cost of necessities: $17,988
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $22,002
Livability: 66
16. Coronado, California
% of population 65+: 22.1%
Monthly cost of necessities: $16,908
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $20,706
Livability: 70
17. Los Gatos, California
% of population 65+: 20.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $16,765
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $20,534
Livability: 84
18. Kentfield, California
% of population 65+: 25.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $16,359
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $20,047
Livability: 69
19. San Marino, California
% of population 65+: 22.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $16,320
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $20,000
Livability: 75
20. Palos Verdes Estates, California
% of population 65+: 27.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $16,203
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $19,859
Livability: 68
21. Greenwich, Connecticut
% of population 65+: 21.1%
Monthly cost of necessities: $15,665
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $19,214
Livability: 80
22. Solana Beach, California
% of population 65+: 26.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $15,189
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $18,643
Livability: 76
23. Alamo, California
% of population 65+: 25%
Monthly cost of necessities: $15,067
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $18,496
Livability: 76
24. Larkspur, California
% of population 65+: 25.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $14,597
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $17,933
Livability: 86
25. Piedmont, California
% of population 65+: 21.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $14,359
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $17,647
Livability: 79
26. Mercer Island, Washington
% of population 65+: 22.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $13,954
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $17,162
Livability: 75
27. Villa Park, California
% of population 65+: 30.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $13,297
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $16,373
Livability: 71
28. Mill Valley, California
% of population 65+: 23.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $12,861
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $15,850
Livability: 87
29. Millbrae, California
% of population 65+: 20.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $12,620
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $15,560
Livability: 83
30. Rolling Hills Estates, California
% of population 65+: 26.5%
Monthly cost of necessities: $12,040
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $14,864
Livability: 74
31. Orinda, California
% of population 65+: 23.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,700
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $14,456
Livability: 76
32. Lafayette, California
% of population 65+: 21.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,573
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $14,304
Livability: 84
33. Santa Barbara, California
% of population 65+: 20.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,464
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $14,174
Livability: 73
34. Park City, Utah
% of population 65+: 21.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,350
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $14,037
Livability: 72
35. Sausalito, California
% of population 65+: 33.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,168
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $13,817
Livability: 79
36. Dana Point, California
% of population 65+: 22.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $11,095
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $13,731
Livability: 65
37. Rancho Palos Verdes, California
% of population 65+: 26.8%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,944
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $13,549
Livability: 58
38. San Clemente, California
% of population 65+: 21.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,648
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $13,194
Livability: 63
39. Carpinteria, California
% of population 65+: 24.3%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,489
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $13,003
Livability: 68
40. Ladera Heights, California
% of population 65+: 22.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,467
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,977
Livability: 69
41. McLean, Virginia
% of population 65+: 20.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,298
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,773
Livability: 81
42. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
% of population 65+: 22.2%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,219
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,679
Livability: 64
43. Westlake Village, California
% of population 65+: 27.9%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,084
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,517
Livability: 71
44. St. Helena, California
% of population 65+: 32.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,081
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,513
Livability: 75
45. North Tustin, California
% of population 65+: 22.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,071
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,502
Livability: 62
46. Great Neck, New York
% of population 65+: 21.1%
Monthly cost of necessities: $10,060
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,488
Livability: 74
47. Incline Village, Nevada
% of population 65+: 21.8%
Monthly cost of necessities: $9,892
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,286
Livability: 60
48. San Anselmo, California
% of population 65+: 21.6%
Monthly cost of necessities: $9,858
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,246
Livability: 86
49. Laguna Niguel, California
% of population 65+: 22.4%
Monthly cost of necessities: $9,761
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $12,130
Livability: 74
50. Lexington, Massachusetts
% of population 65+: 21.7%
Monthly cost of necessities: $9,637
Monthly cost of comfortable retirement: $11,981
Livability: 92
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Methodology: MoneyLion isolated popular retirement spots with populations of at least 5,000 and with at least 20% of the population ages 65 and over, sourced from the U.S. Census ACS. Cost of necessities was determined using Sperling's BestPlaces indexes, expenditure costs for retired households from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Home Value Index and Federal Reserve Economic Data. To find the comfortable cost of retirement, MoneyLion added a 20% buffer to the total cost of necessities. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. All data is up to date as of June 1, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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