The minimum Per Diem rate in California is currently $129, which breaks down in to $83 for your lodging and then a further $46 for your meals and expenses.
That $83 / $46 is the standard Per Diem rate for the state of California, from October 2014 to September 2015. But because California is such a big state, with a really diverse population, there are a lot of exceptions, and you might find it hard to get that low a rate for most places you visit.
Popular areas like Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and San Francisco, for example, have much higher Per Diem rates. Excluding taxes, LA's maximum for lodging is $138 a day, plus $71 for meals and other expenses. And San Francisco is even higher, with a total of $322 for lodging and meals.
