Moving to California from Cuba
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cuba to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Cuba to California, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 84°F in Havana, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Cuba to California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Cuba 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
- · · ·
-
8.1,376,211
Cuba
Key Indicator Comparison
How Cuba and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Cuba performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly better than Cuba across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Cuba generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Cuba performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Havana | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Havana | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Instituto de Meteorología
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cuba 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.
Cuba passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from California?
Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Cuba and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Cuba?
Cuba performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Cuba?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 84°F in Havana. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Havana gets 46.8 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Cuba, the official language is Spanish.
