Here’s the Cost of Living in 26 Sunny California Cities: Could You Afford To Live There?

The allure of California’s golden-sand beaches and relaxed lifestyle attracts new residents every year. The state has something for everyone — a burgeoning tech scene, a lively entertainment industry — hello, Hollywood! — and jaw-dropping scenic towns like Lake Tahoe and Big Sur.

However, the cost of living in California isn’t cheap. Here’s a look at the livability index and cost of living for 26 of California’s sunniest cities.

• Population: 20,430
• Livability: 69
• Average home value: $389,685
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,319
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,090
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,409

• Population: 221,041
• Livability: 58
• Average home value: $491,291
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,924
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,041
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,965

• Population: 316,076
• Livability: 67
• Average home value: $645,595
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $3,842
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,066
• Total monthly cost of living: $5,908

• Population: 87,686
• Livability: 78
• Average home value: $394,395
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,347
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,160
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,507

• Population: 3,725
• Livability: 44
• Average home value: $272,968
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $1,625
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,024
• Total monthly cost of living: $3,648

• Population: 1,383,987
• Livability: 75
• Average home value: $1,163,681
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,926
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,367
• Total monthly cost of living: $9,293

• Population: 541,528
• Livability: 63
• Average home value: $391,610
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,331
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,077
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,408

• Population: 138,728
• Livability: 71
• Average home value: $1,134,680
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,753
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,093
• Total monthly cost of living: $8,846

• Population: 523,600
• Livability: 73
• Average home value: $491,908
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,928
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,231
• Total monthly cost of living: $5,158

• Population: 69,261
• Livability: 61
• Average home value: $340,578
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,027
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,079
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,106

• Population: 2,848
• Livability: 65
• Average home value: $410,399
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,442
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,213
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,656

• Population: 77,565
• Livability: 69
• Average home value: $1,318,155
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $7,845
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,304
• Total monthly cost of living: $10,149

• Population: 66,784
• Livability: 52
• Average home value: $404,126
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,405
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $1,996
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,401

• Population: 3,881,041
• Livability: 67
• Average home value: $1,043,216
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,209
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,199
• Total monthly cost of living: $8,408

• Population: 47,529
• Livability: 72
• Average home value: $1,145,195
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,816
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,019
• Total monthly cost of living: $8,835

• Population: 30,007
• Livability: 78
• Average home value: $1,260,460
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $7,502
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,183
• Total monthly cost of living: $9,685

• Population: 851,036
• Livability: 75
• Average home value: $1,437,512
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $8,555
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,630
• Total monthly cost of living: $11,185

• Population: 6,380
• Livability: 70
• Average home value: $368,889
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $2,195
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,123
• Total monthly cost of living: $4,319

• Population: 88,640
• Livability: 73
• Average home value: $1,993,142
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $11,862
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,117
• Total monthly cost of living: $13,979

• Population: 128,058
• Livability: 79
• Average home value: $1,835,803
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $10,926
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,347
• Total monthly cost of living: $13,273

• Population: 104,165
• Livability: 81
• Average home value: $1,880,062
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $11,189
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,442
• Total monthly cost of living: $13,631

• Population: 79,233
• Livability: 72
• Average home value: $950,072
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $5,654
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,155
• Total monthly cost of living: $7,810

• Population: 15,911
• Livability: 56
• Average home value: $995,684
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $5,926
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,248
• Total monthly cost of living: $8,173

• Population: 61,367
• Livability: 74
• Average home value: $1,419,841
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $8,450
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,188
• Total monthly cost of living: $10,638

• Population: 10,702
• Livability: 73
• Average home value: $1,063,240
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $6,328
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,221
• Total monthly cost of living: $8,549

• Population: 731
• Livability: 62
• Average home value: $902,002
• Average monthly mortgage cost: $5,368
• Average monthly expenditure cost: $2,039
• Total monthly cost of living: $7,407

For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the sunniest cities in the United States to find the cost of expenses. First, GOBankingRates found the sunniest cities by using the National Centers for Environmental Information’s Climate at a Glance data to find the total amount of precipitation a location received from March 2023 to April 2024, in order to estimate the amount of sunshine a location gets. For each city, a number of factors were found, including: cost of living indexes as sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces, livability index as sourced from AreaVibes and the average single family home value from April 2024 as sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. The cost of living indexes were used along with the average expenditure cost for all residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, to find the average cost of expenditures in each city. By assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be calculated for each city. Using the mortgage and expenditure costs, the total average monthly cost of living can be calculated. The cost of living expenditures were listed to show some of the monthly expenditure costs, including grocery, transportation, utilities, healthcare and misc. The cities were sorted to show the sunniest cities first. Only cities located in California were included for this piece. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 4, 2024.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. As a result, some of the photos might not reflect the locations listed in this article.