Moving to United States from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to United States — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to United States, you would find that United States is 11.5% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $75,000 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to United States.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 9.2% less
Groceries
pay 7.9% less
Transportation
pay 8.8% less
Housing
pay 18.0% less
Childcare
pay 19.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.1% 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.
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 United States cost about 4% more than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to United States.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
California performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than United States 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 United States leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs significantly better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in United States than California?
Costs in United States and California are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,750 in United States on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from United States?
Usually fine from major cities in United States. 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 United States compared to California?
California performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in United States compared to California?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
Both California and United States share the same official language: English.
