The real cost of living in Oklahoma

I did a lot of research on the topic of “cost of living” before our move to Oklahoma. Over these almost five years, I have learned what “the cost of living” truly means for a person considering a move to Oklahoma.

Before we get rolling, let’s address housing first. Housing impacts the cost of living more than the price of eggs. So let’s look at the actual numbers:

The price per sq ft for a house from our last zip code to our current zip code. I am keeping it real. CA – $433, OK – $159. So you could buy two, not quite three, houses for the price of one in California.

Now for not keeping it real. Let’s use the same calculation for price per square foot using a Santa Monica zip code and our current zip code here in Oklahoma: SM – $1,300, OK – $159. I’ll round this down to eight, eight houses here in Oklahoma for the price of one in Santa Monica. Dang, that’s a lot of houses.

So expect a house to cost less in Oklahoma.

Let’s move on to eggs. What is more compelling to me are these somewhat smaller everyday items that make up the cost of living:

1. Home insurance – you will pay twice as much for home insurance here in OK. Tornados and hail are the main culprits. At least, that is what insurance people say. And we can trust them for sure.
2. Gas prices – less. I was excited to see a gallon of gas ALMOST go below one dollar in early 2020. Well, then that changed. But prices here in Oklahoma are lower. 
3. Electric – less. We don’t worry too much about seeing a $400 electric bill as we did during hot CA summers. And summers in Oklahoma can get hot!
4. Groceries – I’m just going to put less here. Just saw a list that said, “Oklahoma is one of the lowest-priced states to buy groceries.” Who has the time to make up these lists? We shop mostly at Trader Joe’s. Costco being in town is a plus as well. It all seems good to our budget.
5. Eating out – seems less. And we like our options in OKC as well.
6. Car insurance – I hoped to see this cost drop a lot when we moved to Oklahoma. It didn’t. Insurance folks said the uninsured motorist something was the cause. I’m sure we can trust them.
7. Property Taxes – CA has a lower percentage rate. But good luck finding a house at Oklahoma prices in California. I’ll take Oklahoma property taxes.

Rest assured; you can live on less in Oklahoma.