California per diem rates
Federal fiscal year 2026 · GSA CONUS
Federal travelers and contractors use General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates to estimate allowable lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) while on official travel in California. GSA publishes a standard CONUS rate for much of the state and separate, often higher, caps for designated high-cost localities.
This page summarizes published GSA data for FY 2026. For trip-specific totals (travel-day rules, meal deductions, and seasonal lodging by month), use the CONUS calculator with CA pre-selected.
Airline crew on layover in California? Track GSA M&IE by trip with our free pilot & flight attendant per diem calculator (trip log, contract compare, exports).
GSA rates for California (FY 2026)
Standard CONUS rate
Standard
- M&IE (daily)
- $0
- Peak lodging (monthly cap)
- $0
Applies to most of California outside listed high-cost areas.
Higher-cost localities (32)
GSA publishes elevated caps for these destinations. Lodging varies by month; peak lodging is the highest monthly maximum in FY 2026.
| Locality | County | M&IE | Peak lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antioch / Brentwood / Concord | Contra Costa | $86 | $147 |
| Bakersfield / Ridgecrest | Kern | $74 | $132 |
| Barstow / Ontario / Victorville | San Bernardino | $86 | $124 |
| Death Valley | Inyo / NAWS China Lake | $80 | $142 |
| Eureka / Arcata / McKinleyville | Humboldt | $86 | $172 |
| Fresno | Fresno | $86 | $129 |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles / Orange / Ventura / Edwards AFB less the city of Santa Monica | $86 | $191 |
| Mammoth Lakes | Mono | $86 | $195 |
| Mill Valley / San Rafael / Novato | Marin | $92 | $175 |
| Monterey | Monterey | $92 | $279 |
| Napa | Napa | $92 | $246 |
| Oakhurst | Madera | $80 | $135 |
| Oakland | Alameda | $92 | $145 |
| Palm Springs | Riverside | $86 | $186 |
| Point Arena / Gualala | Mendocino | $86 | $129 |
| Sacramento | Sacramento | $86 | $150 |
| San Diego | San Diego | $86 | $237 |
| San Francisco | San Francisco | $92 | $272 |
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | $86 | $203 |
| San Mateo / Foster City / Belmont | San Mateo | $86 | $183 |
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | $92 | $262 |
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | $86 | $176 |
| Santa Monica | City limits of Santa Monica | $92 | $273 |
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma | $86 | $157 |
| South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | $86 | $247 |
| Stockton | San Joaquin | $74 | $132 |
| Sunnyvale / Palo Alto / San Jose | Santa Clara | $92 | $192 |
| Tahoe City | Placer | $86 | $131 |
| Truckee | Nevada | $86 | $173 |
| Visalia | Tulare | $80 | $131 |
| West Sacramento / Davis | Yolo | $80 | $142 |
| Yosemite National Park | Mariposa | $86 | $203 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the GSA per diem rate for California?
GSA sets a standard CONUS per diem for most of California, plus higher rates for listed cities and counties. Amounts include daily M&IE and monthly lodging caps that change by month and destination.
How do I look up per diem for a specific city or ZIP?
Open the calculator, pick a locality from the dropdown or enter a ZIP code, and enter your travel dates. ZIP lookup maps to the GSA destination ID (DID) for that area.
Is this an official government website?
No. PerDiemCalculator is an independent planning tool. Rates are sourced from GSA published tables. Verify amounts with your agency and the Federal Travel Regulation.
Planning aid only · Not affiliated with GSA or the U.S. government · Data methodology