Moving to New York from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to New York — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to New York, you would find that New York is 3.7% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $68,989 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to New York. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $68,989 To maintain the same standard of living in New York The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 9.5% less Groceries pay 0.2% more Transportation pay 6.5% more Housing pay 16.8% less Childcare pay 4.1% less Entertainment and Sports pay 0.3% 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 New York cost about 15% less than cities in California. Compare cities head-to-head How California and New York stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year New York performs significantly 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 New York leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied New York generally does better on what about housing?, though California leads in homeownership rate. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics. 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 New York leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California generally does better on family life, though New York leads in bachelor's degree or higher. 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: Generally yes: New York runs about 8% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,247 in New York for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. New York performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
Is it safe?
How's the healthcare?
What about housing?
Will I have good infrastructure?
What are the job prospects?
Is it good for families?
What's the Climate Like?
Months Sacramento Albany Jan–Mar 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) Apr–Jun 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) Jul–Sep 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) Oct–Dec 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) View all months
Month Sacramento Albany Jan 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) Feb 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) Mar 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) Apr 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) May 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) Jun 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) Jul 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) Aug 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) Sep 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) Oct 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) Nov 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) Dec 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New York than California?
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Is New York safe?
How is healthcare in New York compared to California?
What's the weather like in New York compared to California?
