Moving to California from Puerto Rico

moving to

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.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

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.

Get free moving quotes to California

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Puerto Rico to California.

Moved in 2018
1 ↓ 83% vs 2017

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Puerto Rico.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessThe World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

PR
77.7%
CA
92.6%

California performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PR
6.0%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PR
$43,000
CA
$84,028

California performs significantly better than Puerto Rico across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PR
81.7 yrs
CA
79.0 yrs

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

United States passport holder visiting Puerto Rico

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Puerto Rico without a visa.

Data: 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.

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At a Glance

PR
Population3,098,42337,253,956
CurrencyUnited States Dollar ($)United States Dollar ($)
LanguagesEnglish, SpanishEnglish
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+1+1
Time zones111
Emergency number911