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Thomas Winz/Getty Images July 26, 2022 Mia Taylor is a contributor to Bankrate and an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience and worked as a staff reporter or contributor for some of the nation's leading newspapers and websites including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the San Diego Union-Tribune, TheStreet, MSN and Credit.com.
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Michele Petry is a senior editor for Bankrate, leading the site’s real estate content. Bankrate logo
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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.
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Here's an explanation for how we make money. Bankrate logo
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Founded i...
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We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-maki...
Here's an explanation for how we make money. Bankrate logo
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Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices.
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Brandon Kumar 14 minutes ago
Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the righ...
Our banking reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most — the best banks, latest rates, different types of accounts, money-saving tips and more — so you can feel confident as you’re managing your money. Bankrate logo
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Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team.
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Oliver Taylor 8 minutes ago
Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
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Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions.
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Alexander Wang 8 minutes ago
We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. O...
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Henry Schmidt 9 minutes ago
Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winn...
Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service.
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Daniel Kumar 2 minutes ago
We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking...
We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories.
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Mason Rodriguez 37 minutes ago
Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your ar...
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Mia Anderson 5 minutes ago
Though there are some facts that are very revealing when it comes to life here. To begin with, the G...
Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. As one of the largest states in the country, it’s not easy to generalize about the cost of living in California.
Though there are some facts that are very revealing when it comes to life here. To begin with, the Golden State is known for its abundance of natural beauty. It offers a good quality of life too, one that often includes an active, outdoor lifestyle and plenty of job opportunities to boot.
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Christopher Lee 34 minutes ago
Some of the , by those metrics, include Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. However, California is al...
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Luna Park 10 minutes ago
In pricey San Francisco, it runs 91 percent higher than the national average; in Sacramento it’s 2...
Some of the , by those metrics, include Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. However, California is also home to five of the , not to mention three of the top five . Housing, food, utilities, even transportation: All are pricier in California, according to .
What s the average cost of living in California
The in California varies significantly depending on where in the state you live.
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David Cohen 48 minutes ago
In pricey San Francisco, it runs 91 percent higher than the national average; in Sacramento it’s 2...
In pricey San Francisco, it runs 91 percent higher than the national average; in Sacramento it’s 22 percent higher; and in Bakersfield, it’s just 4 percent higher. In general, however, the cost of daily expenses in the Golden State is higher than in many other parts of the country.
Housing costs
Finding a place to live in California is not for the faint of heart. Housing costs, whether you’re , tend to be significantly higher here than the rest of the country. , in particular, can really cost you.
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Daniel Kumar 11 minutes ago
The median sale price for a home in the state was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according ...
The median sale price for a home in the state was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according to the . At that price — up 10% from May 2021 — owning a home is not a realistic prospect for most of the state’s residents.
To put it in perspective, the annual income required to be able to at the state’s median price is now about $180,000. That’s . If you’re a , though, the state offers some assistance programs that may be able to help.
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Chloe Santos 13 minutes ago
Rent prices in California are equally challenging. The state has the fourth highest rent rates in th...
Rent prices in California are equally challenging. The state has the fourth highest rent rates in the country and the average rent for a two-bedroom home is a steep $2,274 per month. Half of the renters in the state pay more than 30 percent of their income toward rent, according to data from the .
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Sophie Martin 13 minutes ago
Utility costs
Utility bills in California are no small expense. San Diego residents, for in...
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Lily Watson 9 minutes ago
In the state as a whole, monthly utility bills run about 29 percent higher than the national average...
Utility costs
Utility bills in California are no small expense. San Diego residents, for instance, who are served by San Diego Gas & Electric, pay the in the entire nation. Utility rate increases for San Diego residents are expected to outpace inflation by nearly 70 percent by the year 2030.
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Natalie Lopez 25 minutes ago
In the state as a whole, monthly utility bills run about 29 percent higher than the national average...
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Madison Singh 93 minutes ago
State residents pay an average of 12 percent more for food than the national average. estimates that...
In the state as a whole, monthly utility bills run about 29 percent higher than the national average.
Grocery costs
Ironically for a state with so many farms, the cost of food in California is also more expensive than much of the rest of the country.
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Harper Kim 38 minutes ago
State residents pay an average of 12 percent more for food than the national average. estimates that...
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Sebastian Silva 14 minutes ago
Transportation costs
Transportation is not an area where you stand to save much money when ...
State residents pay an average of 12 percent more for food than the national average. estimates that a single adult in the state spends about $4,000 annually on food. That cost increases to $5,893 annually for an adult with one child and $8,853 for an adult with two children.
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Ethan Thomas 7 minutes ago
Transportation costs
Transportation is not an area where you stand to save much money when ...
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Zoe Mueller 12 minutes ago
Of course, California is known for its highways. It’s a place where many people, particularly thos...
Transportation costs
Transportation is not an area where you stand to save much money when living in California. State residents spend about 37 percent more on transportation than the national average.
Of course, California is known for its highways. It’s a place where many people, particularly those outside major cities, rely on driving rather than public transportation.
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Alexander Wang 68 minutes ago
And unfortunately, the cost of gas in the state is exceptionally high: for July 2022 puts the price ...
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Oliver Taylor 49 minutes ago
State drivers pay an average of $2,190 per year, compared to a nationwide average of $1,771.
Tax...
And unfortunately, the cost of gas in the state is exceptionally high: for July 2022 puts the price of gas in California at $5.73 per gallon, compared to a national average price of $4.35. is also expensive.
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Lily Watson 23 minutes ago
State drivers pay an average of $2,190 per year, compared to a nationwide average of $1,771.
Tax...
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Kevin Wang 41 minutes ago
The state . What’s more, local cities and counties can add their own sales tax on top of that amou...
State drivers pay an average of $2,190 per year, compared to a nationwide average of $1,771.
Taxes
Like so many of the other expenses that factor into the overall cost of living in California, taxes here are among the steepest in the country.
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Alexander Wang 3 minutes ago
The state . What’s more, local cities and counties can add their own sales tax on top of that amou...
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Andrew Wilson 11 minutes ago
For income tax, California follows a graduated tax system: The more money you make, the higher your ...
The state . What’s more, local cities and counties can add their own sales tax on top of that amount, making it even more expensive in some parts of the state.
For income tax, California follows a graduated tax system: The more money you make, the higher your rate. The tax brackets begin at 1 percent and range up to per year.
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William Brown 26 minutes ago
If there is one silver lining, it is that the state’s property taxes are not quite as excessive. T...
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William Brown 5 minutes ago
This puts California’s property taxes 34th in the nation in terms of costliness.
Californi...
If there is one silver lining, it is that the state’s property taxes are not quite as excessive. The effective , which is paid as a percentage of your home value.
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Isaac Schmidt 2 minutes ago
This puts California’s property taxes 34th in the nation in terms of costliness.
Californi...
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Audrey Mueller 15 minutes ago
While the state may be best known for Hollywood and Silicon Valley, agriculture is actually the top ...
This puts California’s property taxes 34th in the nation in terms of costliness.
California s job market
California is home to the by far. In fact, itself, it would boast the world’s fifth-largest economy! California s job market is diverse and rich with opportunity.
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Sophia Chen 58 minutes ago
While the state may be best known for Hollywood and Silicon Valley, agriculture is actually the top ...
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Chloe Santos 66 minutes ago
As of April, it sat at 4.6 percent.
Ready to move to California
If you’re considerin...
While the state may be best known for Hollywood and Silicon Valley, agriculture is actually the top industry. The next largest industries in the state, in order, are film and television, travel and tourism, and tech. The has been declining for the past year.
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Aria Nguyen 50 minutes ago
As of April, it sat at 4.6 percent.
Ready to move to California
If you’re considerin...
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Harper Kim 91 minutes ago
The cost of living in the state overall is 39 percent higher than the national average, but that var...
As of April, it sat at 4.6 percent.
Ready to move to California
If you’re considering a move to California, it may be a good idea to spend some time exploring the state and its diverse offerings first. From the bustle of big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, to the natural beauty of beachside enclaves like Santa Barbara, to the desert elegance of Palm Springs, there is no shortage of lifestyle choices. Finding a knowledgeable and experienced to help you sort through the options is also a good idea, particularly in areas where the real estate market is highly competitive.
FAQs
Is it expensive to live in California
Yes — California is one of the priciest states in the country.
The cost of living in the state overall is 39 percent higher than the national average, but that varies depending on the particular city. In San Francisco, for example, the cost of living is a whopping 91 percent higher than the national average.
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Audrey Mueller 87 minutes ago
What is the average home value in California
Buying a house here is expensive. Accord...
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Amelia Singh 44 minutes ago
Housing costs in particular are significantly higher than in the rest of the country. In addition, u...
What is the average home value in California
Buying a house here is expensive. According to the California Association of Realtors, the median price of a home in the state is a high $898,980, and rising — that number is up 9.9 percent from a year ago.
How much does it cost to live comfortably in California
While living comfortably is a relative term, the cost of living in California is steep.
Housing costs in particular are significantly higher than in the rest of the country. In addition, utility expenses are 29 percent higher and food costs are 12 percent higher than national averages.
As a result, according to MIT’s living-wage calculator, a single individual would need to earn at least $21.82 per hour to have what’s considered a living wage in the state. SHARE: Mia Taylor is a contributor to Bankrate and an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience and worked as a staff reporter or contributor for some of the nation's leading newspapers and websites including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the San Diego Union-Tribune, TheStreet, MSN and Credit.com. Michele Petry is a senior editor for Bankrate, leading the site’s real estate content.
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