Moving to California from Australia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Australia to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Australia to California, you would find that California is 29.1% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $99,800 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is California cheaper than Australia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 17.9% more
Groceries
pay 24.5% more
Transportation
pay 5.2% more
Housing
pay 71.6% more
Childcare
pay 19.0% 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.
What salary do you need in California?
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → $99,800
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
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 47% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to California
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Australia to California, based on official data.
people moved from Australia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
63.103,446
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Australia to California.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
California performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2020), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in California vs Australia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sydney | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sydney | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) |
| Feb | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) |
| Mar | 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) |
| Apr | 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) |
| May | 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) |
| Aug | 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) |
| Sep | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather ServiceCan you move from Australia to California?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Australia?
No — California is on average about 29% more expensive than Australia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $24,950 in California on a A$110,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from California?
Usually fine from major cities in California. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in California compared to Australia?
California performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Los Angeles is 75°F, compared to 72°F in Sydney. Los Angeles receives around 14.9 in of rainfall per year, while Sydney gets 48.1 in.
What language do they speak in California?
Both Australia and California share the same official language: English.
