Moving out to California from Arizona?

I'm 19 years old and i want to move to California, preferably San Francisco or San Diego. I love both, and I have friends that go to school in both who either would be my roommate or have other friends who are looking for roommates as they will be moving out of their dorms and renting places. I have a general understanding of the cost of living but i need it to be made a little bit clearer to me by some people who live there or have lived there recently. I have been working in nice fine dining restaurants since i was 16, and am going to be serving and bartending soon. I will be paying for everything myself. I have my own car, I have a motorcycle, my own furniture, and a good amount of work experience going for me in food and bev as i have mentioned. I have taken a year of classes at a junior college here on my way to getting my gen eds out of the way, and am currently a fine arts major. If I end up in San Fran, I am thinking about going to the Academy of Art up there, and if i go to San Diego, I am thinking about just continuing at junior college until I'm done with my gen eds, then attending a university. so what i am looking for is any advice on getting started over there and what living is like, any tips or shortcuts, ideas, practicalities, opinions of my current positions in application to this, to start in city or outside of it somewhere, really just any advice or ideas in general from people who live there or have lived in California, preferably people from either of those places.
Thanks a ton,
- Orion G.

Moving out to California from Arizona?