Cost of Living: Santa Monica, CA vs Fresno, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Santa Monica, CA versus $3,974/mo in Fresno, CA. In the model, rent is about 34.06% of gross in Santa Monica, CA versus 19.29% in Fresno, CA, so Fresno, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Monica, CA and Fresno, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Monica, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Fresno, CA
- Lower home prices: Fresno, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Monica, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Fresno, CA: 108.5 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Monica, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Fresno, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Fresno, CA: $1,258/mo
Median rent in Santa Monica, CA is $963/mo higher than in Fresno, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200 · Fresno, CA: $348,500
Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $1,461,700 higher than in Fresno, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Monica, CA: $109,739 · Fresno, CA: $66,804
Santa Monica, CA has a higher median household income than Fresno, CA by $42,935.
Santa Monica, CA overview · Fresno, CA overview · Popular comparisons