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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in California

Statewide Regional Price Parities for California from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 25 metro areas.

110.7
Statewide RPP
#1
of 51 states by cost
154.3
Rents RPP
25
Metro areas

The verdict

California is more expensive than 98% of U.S. states — a statewide cost index of 110.7, 10.7% above the national average.

110.7
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#1
of 51 states by overall cost
top 2%
nationally, among all states
154.3
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $90,318 when earned in California.

Reading the California Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places California's statewide Regional Price Parity at 110.7 for the 2024 data year, 10.7% more expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's services line runs hottest at 158.9. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

California captures 25 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads on cost at 115.6, while El Centro, CA sits at the opposite end at 95.2 — a gap of 20.4 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 106.1, for services 158.9, and for rents 154.3 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, California's statewide index has held steady within 0.5 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $90,318 of national buying power when earned inside California, and a household relocating here would need roughly $110,720 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

110.7
Overall
106.1
Goods
158.9
Services
154.3
Rents

California vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

111 Top 2% higher than 98% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Below this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Below this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Below this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). This entry sits in this band. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in California → Cheapest in California →

Metro areas in California, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont 115.6 108.5 172.6 194.7
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 113.6 106.6 158.6 170.4
3 Napa 112.6 105.2 156.5 197.4
4 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 111.9 108.0 174.2 179.3
5 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura 110.5 105.2 152.9 171.1
6 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 110.4 105.2 156.7 211.9
7 Santa Cruz-Watsonville 109.9 105.2 152.7 164.3
8 Salinas 109.0 105.2 154.2 145.7
9 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 108.8 105.2 149.8 151.4
10 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 108.6 105.2 147.8 144.4
11 Vallejo 108.5 105.2 155.0 142.0
12 Santa Rosa-Petaluma 107.8 105.2 154.8 139.6
13 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 106.7 105.2 151.3 130.2
14 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 106.4 101.4 148.6 129.3
15 Stockton-Lodi 105.1 105.2 158.2 115.6
16 Yuba City 104.2 105.2 160.8 108.3
17 Modesto 104.1 105.2 152.3 108.5
18 Fresno 102.2 105.2 161.0 95.7
19 Hanford-Corcoran 101.6 105.2 157.4 93.5
20 Chico 101.2 105.2 158.8 91.9
21 Bakersfield-Delano 100.9 105.2 158.3 90.3
22 Redding 100.7 105.2 157.7 89.4
23 Visalia 99.8 105.2 156.4 84.1
24 Merced 98.3 105.2 158.3 78.6
25 El Centro 95.2 105.2 157.2 66.3

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 111.2
2009 110.7
2010 109.7
2011 109.5
2012 109.7
2013 109.7
2014 109.9
2015 110.7
2016 110.0
2017 111.0
2018 111.9
2019 111.1
2020 111.9
2021 111.9
2022 112.6
2023 112.2
2024 110.7

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in California? ▼
California has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 110.7, meaning it is 10.7% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 106.1, services at 158.9, and rents at 154.3.
What salary in California equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $110,720 in California. Conversely, $100K earned in California has the purchasing power of $90,318 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in California? ▼
Rents in California are indexed at 154.3, which is 54.3% above the national average. Housing costs are significantly higher than typical U.S. levels.
Which is the most expensive metro in California? ▼
The most expensive metro area in California is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA with an RPP of 115.6. The most affordable is El Centro, CA at 95.2. There are 25 metro areas in California with BEA price data.
Is California getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, California's overall cost index changed by -0.5 points (from 111.2 to 110.7). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What is most expensive in California compared to the U.S. average? ▼
The most expensive category in California is services at 158.9, which is 58.9% above the national average. All other categories are at or above the national average.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.