Moving to California from Utah
What to Expect
Considering a move from Utah to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Utah to California, you would find that California is 30.9% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $96,558 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 64°F in Salt Lake City, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Utah and California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $96,558
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 21.5% more
Groceries
pay 24.9% more
Transportation
pay 15.8% more
Housing
pay 40.2% more
Childcare
pay 78.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 31.8% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Utah.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Utah performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah 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
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Utah generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs significantly better than Utah 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Salt Lake City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salt Lake City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Utah?
On average California is around 29% pricier than Utah, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $24,140 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?
Utah performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in California compared to Utah?
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in California compared to Utah?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.
