Moving to California from New Jersey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Jersey to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Jersey to California, you would find that California is 0.4% more expensive than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly $75,590 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 63°F in Trenton, making it significantly warmer. How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Jersey to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $75,590 To maintain the same standard of living in California The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 5.8% more Groceries pay 6.3% less Transportation pay 0.3% more Housing pay 14.3% more Childcare pay 4.0% less Entertainment and Sports pay 3.4% 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%). Compare cities head-to-head How New Jersey and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year New Jersey 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied New Jersey performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California performs significantly better than New Jersey across all infrastructure metrics. 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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: Headline costs are within a few percent between California and New Jersey; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,898 in California for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. New Jersey performs better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Jersey leads in diabetes rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 63°F in Trenton. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Trenton gets 46.5 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 Trenton Sacramento Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Trenton Sacramento Jan 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than New Jersey?
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What's the weather like in California compared to New Jersey?
