Moving to California from Indiana
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Indiana to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Indiana to California, you would find that California is 35.2% more expensive than Indiana. A $75,000 salary in Indiana would need to be roughly $101,854 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 62°F in Indianapolis, making it significantly warmer. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Indiana to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $101,854 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 25.4% more Groceries pay 32.4% more Transportation pay 35.2% more Housing pay 52.5% more Childcare pay 41.7% more Entertainment and Sports pay 46.4% 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 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 52% more than cities in Indiana. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Indiana to California. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Indiana 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 California performs significantly better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Indiana performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Indiana 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 Indiana 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 California performs significantly better than Indiana across all family life metrics. 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 36% more expensive than Indiana. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $25,464 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Indiana performs better than California across all safety metrics. California performs significantly better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 62°F in Indianapolis. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Indianapolis gets 40.8 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
Is it safe?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Indianapolis Sacramento Jan–Mar 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Indianapolis Sacramento Jan 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Indiana?
How much money do I need to move to California?
Is California safe?
How is healthcare in California compared to Indiana?
What's the weather like in California compared to Indiana?
