It depends on what kind of trip you want to experience, on what kind of traveler you are and what kind of experiences you want to enjoy there. I, for example, prefer to pay more for good food and not for extremely expensive accommodations. But food wise, there's plenty of choice. In California, you can spend a lot and you can spend not that much. Of course, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be extremely expensive compared to other places. In fact, finding somewhere cheap to sleep at can be difficult in the big cities, while it's not the same for the food: you can find really cheap restaurants that do not compromise with quality.\r