Moving to California from Ireland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ireland to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ireland to California, you would find that California is 35.8% more expensive than Ireland overall. A €65,374 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly $77,153 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 56°F in Dublin, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ireland to California.
What does your salary buy?
€65,374 → $77,153
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.7% more
Groceries
pay 43.2% more
Transportation
pay 29.2% less
Housing
pay 34.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.2% 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 25% more than cities in Ireland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Ireland to California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Ireland 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
- · · ·
-
59.105,858
Ireland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ireland and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Ireland performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Ireland performs better than California 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
Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Ireland 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 | Dublin | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Dublin | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland 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.
Ireland passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Ireland
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 Ireland?
Day-to-day costs in California run about 3% higher than Ireland on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to California?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,374 comparable salary, that's around $19,288 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
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 Ireland and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Ireland?
Ireland performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Ireland?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish.
