Moving to California from Washington
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Washington to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Washington to California, you would find that California is 8.8% more expensive than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $84,146 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 60°F in Olympia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Washington to California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $84,146
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.8% more
Groceries
pay 8.5% more
Transportation
pay 3.7% more
Housing
pay 22.0% more
Childcare
pay 8.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.0% 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 12% more than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Washington to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Washington generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate.
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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Washington 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
Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs better than California 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 | Olympia | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Washington?
No — California is on average about 12% more expensive than Washington. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,036 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is California safe?
Washington generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in California compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in California compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
