Can you feel the dreamy Golden State just calling your name? Can you feel yourself ready to start California dreamin‘? If you’re nodding your head yes, then look you’ve stumbled upon the right page. To help you bring your dreams of moving to California a little closer to reality, we developed a guide for you which contains all the relevant information you might ever need about a move to California!
Before starting your adventure in paradise, you’d probably like to know exactly how much this adventure is going to cost you. As with any move, your move to California will be mainly affected by the size of your move and the distance between points A and B. As well, if you’re relocating within the state of California, your move will be much cheaper than if you’re moving in from outside of the state.
We know that this might sound a little vague. So, to illustrate it better for you, we compiled a list of estimates for a full-service move to San Francisco (CA) from various cities across the United States below.
| City | 1-bedroom | 2-bedrooms | 3-bedrooms |
| New York City, NY | $4,880 – $6,919 | $6,919 – $8,923 | $10,766 – $14,606 |
| Houston, TX | $4,079 – $5,728 | $5,728 – $7,368 | $8,883 – $12,036 |
| Miami, FL | $4,709 – $6,663 | $6,663 – $8,582 | $10,340 – $14,009 |
| Chicago, IL | $4,260 – $5,999 | $5,999 – $7,722 | $9,312 – $12,621 |
| Portland, OR | $3,117 – $4,304 | $4,304 – $5,513 | $6,648 – $8,998 |
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the rates shown above are just estimates and will vary depending on your actual point of departure and service rates of the company.
If you want to know precisely how much moving to California will cost you, the best thing you can do is request quotes. By filling out the form below, you will be able to receive up to 5 free moving quotes, which will ultimately help you save money on your move to California!
Moving to California will definitely be an adventure, but unfortunately it will be one that will require a lot of steps. To make sure your move is as stress-free as possible, we recommend that you check out our national moving checklist –it will help you make sure you don’t miss out on any important details!
In case you’d rather just note down a few points remember, we recommend the following:
To keep on with the money theme, it’s only fair that we move on to discussing the living expenses you can expect to have while residing in California. You might be aware that California ranks as number one in the list of most expensive states to live in the US, requiring a living wage of around $68,200. Overall, the living costs in California are around 45% higher compared to the national average.
We know this might sound a little scary or discouraging, but keep in mind that not every city in California is equally as expensive. At the end of the day, your living costs will largely depend on your lifestyle and the city you choose to reside in. We’ve broken down the most common living costs in this section so you can get a rough idea of what to expect when moving to California.
When it comes to living expenses, be assured that housing will probably represent the biggest chunk of such. As we mentioned before, California is pretty well known for being quite pricey. And, unfortunately, this expensiveness doesn’t stop at overpriced (but tasty!) coffees or lunches but actually reaches housing too. The median home value in the California is well above the $550,000 mark, and the average monthly rent is around $2,750.
To illustrate this, below you can find some estimates of possible rent and home prices for different properties in different cities in California.
| City | Median Home Value | Average Monthly Rent |
| Los Angeles | $629,900 | $2,524 |
| San Francisco | $1,194,300 | $3,629 |
| San Diego | $572,100 | $2,237 |
| Sacramento | $299,200 | $1,579 |
| San Jose | $877,400 | $2,790 |
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the prices reflected above are just estimates. The rent can vary depending on the location and characteristics of the property.
Given that taxes are unfortunately just one of those things that will follow us ’til the end of time, you can most certainly expect to pay a few of them when you move to California. So, when it comes to the state’s tax rates you can expect the following:
For further information regarding state taxes, we recommend that you check out the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s website.
California’s food scene is one of the most diverse in the country, so we can imagine that one of the things that excites you the most about moving to California is the ridiculous amount of great restaurants across the state (at least we definitely would be very excited).
We really hope you manage to taste all the delicacies the state has to offer, but just in case you find yourself craving a home cooked meal every now and then, we compiled a list of common grocery items and their respective prices below so you know what to expect!
| Grocery Item | Average Price |
| 1 lb. of local cheese | $5.87 |
| 1 lb. of potatoes | $1.29 |
| A carton of 12 eggs | $3.49 |
| 1 lb. of chicken filet | $5.67 |
| 1 lb. of beef round | $5.43 |
| 1 lb. of rice | $2.34 |
| Bottle of wine | $14.50 |
| 1 lb. of apples | $2.02 |
| Loaf of fresh bread | $3.35 |
As you might expect, transportation costs will vary depending on the city you live in. As well, it’s important that you keep in mind that public transport is widely available in large metropolitan areas, but might be lacking a bit in smaller towns. So you know what to expect, below you can find a summary of public transport prices across different cities in California.
| City | Fare |
| Los Angeles (TAP Card used for both metro and bus lines) |
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| San Francisco (Clipper Card, all-in-one transit card for the Bay Area) |
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| San Diego (Compass Card, used for both trolley and bus lines) |
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We don’t think that it’s necessary to tell you that California isn’t particularly known for being a boring state. Whether it’s by visiting Mickey Mouse over at the Disneyland Park, by having a nice walk along the Santa Monica Pier, or by enjoying the wonders of Yosemite National Park, we are more than sure that California will find a way to keep you entertained. Below you can find a list of possible entertainment activities and their respective prices to give you a gist of all the cool things you can do in California.
| Activity | Average Price |
| Disneyland Park single-day ticket | $110 on regular days, $124 on peak days |
| Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant | $90 |
| Ticket to Los Angeles County Museum of Art | $20 |
| Two tickets to the movies | $29 |
| Two tickets to the theater | $223 |
| Coffee at a local café | $5 |
| Monthly gym membership | $56 |
| Ticket to the Japanese Tea Garden | $5 |
When we think about the job market in California, our first thought tends to be the famous Silicon Valley where giants like Google and Apple operate. And although there are great opportunities there, you’ll also be able to scout a job in the following top industries in case high-tech isn’t your cup of tea:
To make California your forever home you will have to:
We hope that after reading this article you feel well prepared to start a new life in the Golden State! In case you’re in need of some extra help, we recommend checking out the articles linked below. Good luck during your move!☘
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