I travel a lot and compare cost of living, so it is all relative.
In California major agglomerations housing is expensive and that is what newcomers see. But in small city you can buy a TLC house for $29,000.
Fuels are always expensive downtown, but as I said, on few trucks stops in California you had fuel at $1.89 a month ago.
Food is expensive in San Francisco area, cheaper in LA, but in Bay Area you can have Chinese cook-to order lunch as low as $6. Try to find it in other states.
My friend in So CA had family visiting from Texas and those folks got good shock when they find Texan beef in CA cost 1/2 what it does in Texas.