Moving to California from Germany
What to Expect
Considering a move from Germany to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Germany to California, you would find that California is 41.6% more expensive than Germany overall. A €65,374 salary in Germany would need to be roughly $91,942 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 56°F in Berlin, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Germany and California.
What does your salary buy?
€65,374 → $91,942
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.7% less
Groceries
pay 42.9% more
Transportation
pay 15.8% less
Housing
pay 93.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.4% 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 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 42% more than cities in Germany.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Germany to California.
people moved from Germany 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
- · · ·
-
18.534,203
Germany
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Germany.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Germany performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly better than Germany 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 Germany leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Germany 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 | Berlin | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Berlin | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Deutscher Wetterdienst
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Germany 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.
Germany passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Germany
Visa FreeData: 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 Germany?
On average California is around 23% pricier than Germany, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $22,986 for 3 months in California (based on a €65,374 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
From major California cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Germany and California are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in California compared to Germany?
Germany performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Germany?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 56°F in Berlin. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Berlin gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Germany, the official language is German.
