Moving to California from Nevada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Nevada to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Nevada to California, you would find that California is 12.4% more expensive than Nevada. A $75,000 salary in Nevada would need to be roughly $85,733 in California to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nevada and California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,733
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.9% less
Groceries
pay 8.0% more
Transportation
pay 0.7% more
Housing
pay 25.9% more
Childcare
pay 41.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.7% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Nevada.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Nevada generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nevada leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Nevada performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Nevada generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Nevada leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs significantly better than Nevada 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)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Carson City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 51°/26°F (10°/-4°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/41°F (22°/5°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/49°F (30°/9°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 56°/28°F (13°/-2°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Carson City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/22°F (7.3°/-5.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 50°/25°F (9.9°/-3.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 57°/30°F (13.7°/-1.2°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/34°F (17.1°/1.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 71°/41°F (21.9°/4.9°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 81°/47°F (27.3°/8.4°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/52°F (32.0°/11.2°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 88°/51°F (31.1°/10.3°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/43°F (26.9°/6.3°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/35°F (19.9°/1.4°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 54°/27°F (12.4°/-2.7°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 45°/22°F (7.2°/-5.6°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Nevada?
On average California is around 14% pricier than Nevada, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $21,433 for 3 months in California (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is California safe?
Nevada generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in California compared to Nevada?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nevada leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in California compared to Nevada?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 66°F in Carson City. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Carson City gets 9.7 in.
