Emeryville, home to Pixar Animation Studios, is one of only two locations in the ranking where you can get by on five figures. Its annual cost of living is $94,147.69, or $7,845.64 per month.
Marina del Rey is at the other extreme of the livability scale; with a score of 84, only one other city can claim a higher ranking. It also offers a cost of living that is under six figures per year. There, you may make a living for $98,931.74, or $8,244.31 a month. Rent is obscenely expensive.
In terms of livability, Lake Forest ranks third last on the list with a score of 77. It is one of just four that score below 80. The second-lowest rent in the ranking is the trade-off. There, a yearly cost of living of $102,979.79, or $8,581.65 a month, is incurred.
Hoboken is the only city on the list that is not in California, but considering that no other city on the list has a better livability score (85), it could be worth the long trip. There, housing is expensive; only three cities' citizens pay higher rent on a monthly basis. The monthly cost of living is $8,959.88, or $107,518.50 annually.
Irvine receives a 79, which is nevertheless regarded as remarkable, making it the last of just four cities on the list with a livability score under 80. Irvine is the last city on the list where you can get by on less than $10,000 per month, with a cost of living of $114,755.91 annually, or $9,562.99 per month.
The livability rating of 68 for Union City ranks as the second-worst on the list, just after Emeryville. In exchange, it boasts the lowest rent among the other ten cities. To make a living there, you'll need $10,171.22 a month, or $122,054.66 a year.
Dublin has an outstanding livability score of 82, but you'll have to pay to enjoy it. Dublin's yearly cost of living is $122,115.99, or $10,176.33 per month, which is about on par with Union City's.
Foster City's housing costs are second only to Marina del Rey among the two cities with an average rent over $3,000. Rent is far from the only financial factor to take into account, but doing so will get you an admirable cost of living score of 80. A startling $176,764.59 a year, or $14,730.38 a month, is required to live in Foster City.
The yearly cost of living in Newport Beach, which is one of just two locations on the list with a cost of living exceeding $200,000, is $216,693.02. The equivalent monthly amount is $18,057.75.
You'll need to come up with $18,124.20 a month, or $217,490.36 annually, to live in Cupertino, the location of Apple. Apple, on the other hand, has good taste in real estate; Cupertino ranks in the top three cities for livability with a score of 83.