Moving to California from Illinois
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Illinois to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Illinois to California, you would find that California is 17.9% more expensive than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly $95,223 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 63°F in Springfield, making it significantly warmer. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Illinois to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $95,223 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 19.2% more Groceries pay 20.4% more Transportation pay 12.3% more Housing pay 42.6% more Childcare pay 16.3% more Entertainment and Sports pay 17.6% 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 California cost about 37% more than cities in Illinois. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Illinois to California. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Illinois performs 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 Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Illinois performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Illinois generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access. 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 Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Illinois generally does better on family life, though California leads in life expectancy. 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: No — California is on average about 27% more expensive than Illinois. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,806 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Illinois performs better than California across all safety metrics. Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 63°F in Springfield. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Springfield gets 37.4 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Springfield Sacramento Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Springfield Sacramento Jan 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Illinois?
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What's the weather like in California compared to Illinois?
