California is gorgeous, from the beaches to the mountains, the parks and the never-ending activities that can be done here, it’s actually an excellent place to live. But when it comes to retirees, the cost of living is so crazy that even the bustling working community has a tough time surviving here. Given that California also has one of the biggest populations, the air quality is also affected, which isn’t great for the elderly. Unless you have a giant 401K or Social Security benefits, you’ll be hard pressed to survive even just one year in The Golden State.