Cost of Living in California (CA)

Compare costs across 39 California cities. From home services to salaries, see how CA stacks up against the national average.

39
Cities
144
Avg Cost Index
$73K
Avg Income
📊 California Highlights: Most affordable city: Victorville (index 98). Most expensive: San Francisco (index 244). The gap between cheapest and most expensive is 146 index points.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities in California

CityPopulationCost IndexMedian IncomeTier
Los Angeles4.0M166$65Kmajor
San Diego1.4M160$80Kmajor
San Jose1.0M214$117Klarge
San Francisco874K244$119Kmajor
Fresno542K104$50Kmid
Sacramento525K122$62Klarge
Long Beach467K155$62Kmid
Oakland433K190$76Kmid
Bakersfield403K100$58Kmid
Anaheim350K162$72Kmid
Stockton321K108$53Kmid
Riverside315K120$65Kmid
Santa Ana310K158$61Kmid
Irvine308K175$108Kmid
Modesto218K106$53Kmid
Fontana215K122$72Kmid
Moreno Valley212K118$63Kmid
Oxnard202K140$68Kmid
Huntington Beach199K158$97Kmid
Santa Rosa178K155$72Ksmall
Rancho Cucamonga178K128$84Kmid
Oceanside176K142$69Kmid
Elk Grove176K122$90Kmid
Ontario175K118$63Kmid
Hayward163K152$78Kmid
Sunnyvale156K218$140Kmid
Roseville148K126$86Kmid
Visalia141K102$55Kmid
Victorville135K98$48Kmid
Concord129K138$75Kmid
Simi Valley126K148$100Kmid
Vallejo122K128$64Kmid
Chico101K108$43Kmid
Redding93K104$48Ksmall
Santa Barbara89K180$69Ksmall
Napa79K168$78Ksmall
Santa Cruz65K175$67Ksmall
Palm Springs49K135$49Ksmall
San Luis Obispo47K148$55Ksmall

Cost by Category Across California

Home Services

Business Startup Costs

Cost of Living

Insurance

Legal Services

Salaries & Jobs

Compare Cities Within California

Los Angeles vs San Diego
Full cost comparison →
Los Angeles vs San Jose
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