In the past, there were cities people avoided because of the high cost of living. These days, the number of cities that fall into that category has increased, and the ones people used to avoid have become even more expensive to live in. A study was conducted following Californian families (two working parents who have two young children, ages 4 and 8), and the results have stunned many.

According to a study by Business Insider, California contains six out of 10 of the most expensive U.S. metros for families. The cost was calculated based on a list of factors that a family of four is typically expected to use monthly and how much these are expected to cost.
The factors that affect it include housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, other necessities, and taxes. Together, they show what the average family in the U.S. is likely to spend per month. Below is a list of California cities, how much it costs to live there, and why it costs so much.

According to Business Insider, Bakersfield is one of the cheapest places to live in California, even though it will cost you about $8,269 monthly on average. 
Here, child care is more expensive than housing, costing $1,766, while housing costs $1,137.

After Bakersfield, the next cheapest place to live in California is Modesto, which has an average monthly total of $8,835.
Childcare is also the most expensive factor here. However, it is cheaper than in Bakersfield, costing $1,648 a month, while housing costs $1,365.

With a monthly cost of $9,467, Stockton comes up third on this list.
In Stockton, transportation costs slightly more than housing: $1,516 versus $1,513. Child care is also the most expensive in the area: $1,832.

An average monthly cost of five figures at $10,373 is what you’ll be spending if you live in Sacramento, California. 
Housing is significantly more expensive here, costing $1,756 a month. The cheapest other necessities a family might have are roughly $1,013 a month

This is a significantly bigger jump from Sacramento, with a monthly cost of $12,765.
Housing is the highest monthly cost in the area, at $2,388 for the average family. Similarly, food is the cheapest monthly cost, at $1,261.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California, goes even higher with the numbers. Living here costs around $12,901 a month.
Unsurprisingly, housing is significantly more expensive here, costing roughly $2,667 a month.
Throw in child care and taxes, which cost $2,301 and $2,246 a month, respectively, and the expenses just keep climbing. 

Life here will require an average monthly cost of $12,972.
As with most cities on the list, housing is the most expensive factor to consider, at $2,405 a month. Food and other necessities a family might need are the cheapest on the list, at $1,200 and $1,276, respectively.

With a jump of almost $1,000 at a monthly overall cost of $13,752, San Jose is one of the most expensive neighborhoods to live in. 
Housing in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara costs under $3,000 a month. But fortunately, food costs are cheaper than in Oakland-Fremont, at $1,183.

A family will need an average of $14,509 to survive in Santa Cruz-Watsonville.
Housing costs $3,293 a month, more than the other places on the list, and taxes come in second at $2,728 a month.

The most expensive place on the list is San Francisco, California, which costs $15,106 a month.
Surprisingly, housing in San Francisco is slightly cheaper than in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, costing $3,188 a month. Health care is roughly half this amount, costing around $1,682 a month.