@ 🩳 Tiwari, Just the Salary is not sufficient. Where in California may give some answers though. Its the biggest state after Texas...so think more. One need to nail down the place where he lives or intends to live and if u have kids...u really need to think more. Living near big cities like LA, Sanfransisco and any near beach cities will be expensive regardless of renting or buying. $200k yearly is still a very good for LA or San Diago (not near beach cities)... but Sanfransisco is very expensive...$300k might just be a minimum requirement for a family with kid outside Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley and nearby will need $500k as a minimum.

But if u r single or no kids then yes u can find cheap rent/house in places where schools are not good. Or, if u manage to live in Inland empire (San Bernardino and Riverside County) You can live a very comfortable life with $200k in good school districts. Same thing in Central Valley, $200 k is a lot of money....so don't get discouraged yet.

Now lets talk about quality of life. How do u define it makes a difference. If u want to spend lot of time outside the house but ok to go to beach only few times a year., Inland empire or Central Valley is good option. If u want to stay close to beach then yes u need a lot of money.

Also Central Valley and Inland Empire may not be appealing to u because of lack of greenary and lack of...lets say cool happening places like in LA, Orange County, Bay area...

Now talk about the most famous thing about California, the Sun...Yes the sun. Near beach cities or in the North, sun is your friend. Good all the time. But more u go inland, summer becomes hotter. Yet, unlike midwest or east, even in the days with 100 degrees, mornings and evenings are awesome....Lots of things to say...Been living in CA for more than 12 years. If u ask me its next to Nepal...