Moving to California from Arizona
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Arizona to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Arizona to California, you would find that California is 25.4% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $91,599 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arizona to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $91,599 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 6.8% more Groceries pay 21.7% more Transportation pay 21.8% more Housing pay 16.8% more Childcare pay 76.9% more Entertainment and Sports pay 26.4% more Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%). On average, cities in California cost about 29% more than cities in Arizona. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Arizona to California. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Arizona performs better than California across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in diabetes rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Arizona performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Arizona generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person typical annual income of a household share of people below the poverty line California generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California performs significantly better than Arizona across all family life metrics. Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: No — California is on average about 22% more expensive than Arizona. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,900 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Arizona performs better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in diabetes rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Phoenix Sacramento Jan–Mar 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Phoenix Sacramento Jan 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Arizona?
How much money do I need to move to California?
Is California safe?
How is healthcare in California compared to Arizona?
What's the weather like in California compared to Arizona?
