Cost of Living in California

Prices in California (First-Level Administrative Unit in United States)

Top cities by number of contributors:
Los Angeles - 271 contributors in the past 12 months
San Francisco - 193 contributors
San Diego - 167 contributors
San Jose - 87 contributors
Sacramento - 81 contributors

Restaurants
Edit Range
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant 23.46 $ 15.00-40.00
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) 82.48 $ 57.00-150.00
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) 12.58 $ 10.00-15.00
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) 7.69 $ 5.00-10.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 8.57 $ 6.00-12.00
Cappuccino (Regular Size) 5.61 $ 3.95-8.00
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) 2.88 $ 2.00-4.00
Bottled Water (12 oz) 2.32 $ 1.99-3.79
Markets
Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) 1.27 $ 0.92-1.72
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) 3.92 $ 2.12-6.00
White Rice (1 lb) 2.34 $ 1.00-4.00
Eggs (12, Large Size) 5.35 $ 2.78-9.00
Local Cheese (1 lb) 6.58 $ 3.86-14.00
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 6.36 $ 2.75-11.00
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) 8.08 $ 4.79-13.00
Apples (1 lb) 2.48 $ 1.00-4.00
Bananas (1 lb) 1.00 $ 0.59-2.00
Oranges (1 lb) 2.04 $ 0.90-4.75
Tomatoes (1 lb) 2.51 $ 0.99-4.00
Potatoes (1 lb) 1.49 $ 0.50-3.00
Onions (1 lb) 1.45 $ 0.80-2.65
Lettuce (1 Head) 2.34 $ 1.23-3.00
Bottled Water (50 oz) 2.39 $ 1.20-3.99
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 15.50 $ 8.70-25.00
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) 2.01 $ 1.73-3.57
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 3.50 $ 1.50-7.00
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) 11.45 $ 10.00-15.00
Transportation
Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) 2.47 $ 1.75-5.00
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) 71.17 $ 50.00-100.00
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) 4.05 $ 3.00-7.00
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) 3.55 $ 2.91-7.00
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) 34.31 $ 28.00-60.00
Gasoline (1 Liter) 1.24 $ 1.15-1.32
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) 33,428.71 $ 28,000.00-37,649.85
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) 26,389.95 $ 25,633.55-29,979.22
Utilities (Monthly)
Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) 244.34 $ 150.00-425.00
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) 61.84 $ 35.00-104.00
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) 74.10 $ 50.00-109.99
Sports And Leisure
Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership 59.45 $ 24.99-150.00
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) 19.45 $ 7.00-30.00
Cinema Ticket (International Release) 15.44 $ 12.00-20.00
Childcare
Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child 1,804.11 $ 1,100.00-3,000.00
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child 31,367.30 $ 15,000.00-42,700.00
Clothing And Shoes
Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) 57.27 $ 30.00-84.00
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) 44.12 $ 25.00-70.00
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 92.67 $ 60.00-130.00
Men's Leather Business Shoes 126.55 $ 75.00-200.00
Rent Per Month
Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 2,434.65 $ 1,800.00-3,500.00
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 2,121.87 $ 1,500.00-3,000.00
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 4,058.13 $ 2,735.71-6,000.00
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 3,532.12 $ 2,500.00-5,000.00
Buy Apartment Price
Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 649.20 $ 339.00-999.99
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 580.64 $ 335.01-899.99
Salaries And Financing
Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 5,340.25 $
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) 6.51 6.00-7.20

Over the last 12 months, 10640 data points were contributed by 2942 people of this region.
Last update: 26 November 2025
Figures represent aggregated data from all cities within this administrative unit.

Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
All Cities in California with Available Data:
Adelanto
Agoura Hills
Alameda
Alhambra
Aliso Viejo
American Canyon
Anaheim
Antioch
Apple Valley
Atascadero
Auburn
Bakersfield
Banning
Beaumont
Belmont
Berkeley
Beverly Hills
Brea
Brentwood
Burbank
Camarillo
Canoga Park
Carlsbad
Castro Valley
Cerritos
Chico
Chula Vista
Citrus Heights
Colton
Concord
Corcoran
Corona
Costa Mesa
Cupertino
Dana Point
Danville
Davis
Desert Hot Springs
Downey
Dublin
El Cajon
El Centro
El Cerrito
El Dorado Hills
Elk Grove
Encinitas
Escondido
Eureka
Fairfield
Fallbrook
Fillmore
Folsom
Fontana
Foster City
Fountain Valley
Fremont
Fresno
Fullerton
Garberville
Garden Grove
Gilroy
Glendale
Glendora
Grass Valley
Half Moon Bay
Hayward
Hemet
Hermosa Beach
Highland
Huntington Beach
Huntington Park
Indio
Irvine
La Mesa
La Quinta
Laguna Niguel
Lake Elsinore
Lake Forest
Lancaster
Livermore
Lodi
Lompoc
Long Beach
Los Angeles
Los Banos
Los Gatos
Malibu
Mammoth Lakes
Manteca
Martinez
Menifee
Menlo Park
Merced
Mission Viejo
Modesto
Monrovia
Monterey Park
Monterey
Mountain View
Murrieta
Napa
Newport Beach
Norwalk
Oakland
Oceanside
Ojai
Ontario
Oroville
Oxnard
Palm Desert
Palm Springs
Palmdale
Palo Alto
Pasadena
Paso Robles
Petaluma
Pleasanton
Pomona
Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Palos Verdes
Redding
Redlands
Redondo Beach
Redwood City
Ridgecrest
Riverside
Rocklin
Rohnert Park
Roseville
Sacramento
Salinas
San Bernardino
San Clemente
San Diego
San Dimas
San Francisco
San Jose
San Leandro
San Luis Obispo
San Marcos
San Mateo
San Rafael
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Santa Barbara
Santa Clara
Santa Clarita
Santa Cruz
Santa Maria
Santa Monica
Santa Rosa
Saratoga
Seal Beach
Simi Valley
Sonora
Stanford
Stockton
Sunnyvale
Tehachapi
Temecula
Thousand Oaks
Torrance
Tracy
Truckee
Tulare
Turlock
Tustin
Ukiah
Union City
Upland
Vacaville
Vallejo
Valley Center
Ventura
Victorville
Visalia
Vista
Walnut Creek
Walnut
Watsonville
West Hollywood
Westminster
Yorba Linda
Yreka
Yuba City
Yucaipa
Yucca Valley
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