I bailed out last summer. Not to a "cheaper" are to live, but Hawaii is actually not as expensive by a small margin. No heating bills, solar hot water, sales tax is 1/2, proterty tax less than 1/2, etc. Yeah, the politics are disgustingly liberal, but I knew that. Traffic can be bad, but no one is an @sshole like 2 out of 3 in SoCal. Calif. is in a downward spiral fueled by real estate greed, socialists running the capitol, and being taxed to death to fund illegal aliens.
Grew up there 40-50 years ago, glad to be rid of what it has become.
We live in California now and are moving to Hawaii this coming summer, Big Island. People always say....but Hawaii is sooooooooo expensive! You are correct, we will be saving a bundle by moving there. No $600 a mnth electric bills, less property tax, etc.
You can always tell, here, when a Californian is behind us, they will try and run you down unless you step on the gas to get out of their way. They rule the roads donchaknow.