Moving to California from Puerto Rico
What to Expect
Considering a move from Puerto Rico to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Puerto Rico to California, you would find that California is 78.6% more expensive than Puerto Rico overall. A $75,000 salary in Puerto Rico would need to be roughly $100,746 in California to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Puerto Rico and California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $100,746
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 51.6% more
Groceries
pay 15.4% more
Transportation
pay 57.2% more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 3.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.9% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Puerto Rico to California.
people moved from Puerto Rico 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
-
5.1,829,251
Puerto Rico
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Puerto Rico.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
California performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Puerto Rico performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Puerto Rico 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.
United States passport holder visiting Puerto Rico
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 Puerto Rico?
On average California is around 34% pricier than Puerto Rico, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $25,186 for 3 months in California (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
From major California cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Puerto Rico and California are what actually decide it long-term.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Puerto Rico, the official languages are English and Spanish.
