Moving to California from United Kingdom
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Kingdom to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Kingdom to California, you would find that California is 20.9% more expensive than United Kingdom overall. A £56,672 salary in United Kingdom would need to be roughly $84,357 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 60°F in London, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United Kingdom and California.
What does your salary buy?
£56,672 → $84,357
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.9% more
Groceries
pay 62.6% more
Transportation
pay 22.4% less
Housing
pay 53.4% more
Childcare
pay 31.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.2% 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 by city
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%).
On average, cities in California cost about 39% more than cities in United Kingdom.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from United Kingdom to California.
people moved from United Kingdom 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
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
17.673,667
United Kingdom
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to United Kingdom.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
United Kingdom performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United Kingdom performs better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though United Kingdom leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United Kingdom performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | London | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | London | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Met Office
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Kingdom 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 Kingdom passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 United Kingdom?
On average California is around 12% pricier than United Kingdom, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $21,089 for 3 months in California (based on a £56,672 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 United Kingdom and California are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in California compared to United Kingdom?
United Kingdom performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to United Kingdom?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 60°F in London. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while London gets 22.0 in.
What language do they speak in California?
Both United Kingdom and California share the same official language: English.
