Moving to India from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to India — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to India, you would find that India is 87.1% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly ₹920,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Delhi averages 88°F vs 75°F in Los Angeles, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is India cheaper than California?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 86.0% less
Groceries
pay 80.8% less
Transportation
pay 67.3% less
Housing
pay 94.4% less
Childcare
pay 96.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 75.7% less
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 India?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ₹920,000
To maintain the same standard of living in India
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 India cost about 80% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to India
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from California to India, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to India.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
India performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than India 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 India leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than India across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2011), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in India vs California
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Los Angeles | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Los Angeles | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
India Meteorological Department
Can you move from California to India?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in India than California?
Yes — India is on average about 87% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to India?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₹230,000 in India on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from India?
Usually fine from major cities in India. 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 India compared to California?
India performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in India compared to California?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 75°F in Los Angeles. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Los Angeles gets 14.9 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In California, the official language is English.
