Moving to California from Oklahoma

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Oklahoma to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Oklahoma to California, you would find that California is 28.0% more expensive than Oklahoma. A $75,000 salary in Oklahoma would need to be roughly $103,474 in California to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Oklahoma and California.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $103,474

To maintain the same standard of living in California

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 23.9% more

Groceries

pay 24.1% more

Transportation

pay 19.0% more

Housing

pay 65.4% more

Childcare

pay 26.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 39.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Oklahoma.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OK
407
CA
503
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OK
2112
CA
2303

Oklahoma performs better than California across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

OK
12.7%
CA
6.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OK
40.3%
CA
28.4%

California performs significantly better than Oklahoma across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

OK
$185,900
CA
$695,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OK
$980
CA
$1,956

Oklahoma performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

OK
87.4%
CA
92.6%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OK
22 min
CA
29 min

Oklahoma generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OK
3.8%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OK
$51,007
CA
$84,028

California generally does better on employment & economy, though Oklahoma leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OK
74.1 yrs
CA
79.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

OK
18%
CA
25%

California performs significantly better than Oklahoma 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.

Oklahoma City Rain: 32.4 in/yr (823 mm)
71° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Sacramento Rain: 18.5 in/yr (470 mm)
74° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Oklahoma City Sacramento
Jan–Mar 55°/33°F (13°/0°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 80°/58°F (26°/14°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/69°F (32°/20°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/39°F (16°/4°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C)
View all months
Month Oklahoma City Sacramento
Jan 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.5°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)
Feb 53°/31°F (11.9°/-0.6°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)
Mar 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)
Apr 71°/48°F (21.5°/9.1°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)
May 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.7°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)
Jun 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.4°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)
Jul 93°/72°F (34.0°/22.2°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)
Aug 92°/71°F (33.6°/21.5°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)
Sep 84°/63°F (28.7°/17.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)
Oct 72°/50°F (22.4°/10.1°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)
Nov 60°/39°F (15.6°/3.9°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)
Dec 49°/29°F (9.7°/-1.6°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in California than Oklahoma?

On average California is around 38% pricier than Oklahoma, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to California?

Budget about $25,868 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?

Oklahoma performs better than California across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in California compared to Oklahoma?

California performs significantly better than Oklahoma across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in California compared to Oklahoma?

The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 71°F in Oklahoma City. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Oklahoma City gets 32.4 in.

Share this