Cost of Living: Watsonville, 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 Watsonville, CA versus $3,974/mo in Fresno, CA. In the model, rent is about 25.99% of gross in Watsonville, CA versus 19.29% in Fresno, CA, so Fresno, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Watsonville, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Fresno, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Watsonville, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Fresno, CA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Watsonville, CA and Fresno, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Watsonville, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Fresno, CA
  • Lower home prices: Fresno, CA
  • Higher median household income: Watsonville, CA

Cost of Living Index

Watsonville, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Fresno, CA: 108.5 (U.S. = 100)

Watsonville, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Fresno, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Watsonville, CA: $1,695/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Fresno, CA: $1,258/mo

Median rent in Watsonville, CA is $437/mo higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Home Price

Watsonville, CA: $657,700 · Fresno, CA: $348,500

Median home price in Watsonville, CA is $309,200 higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Household Income

Watsonville, CA: $74,785 · Fresno, CA: $66,804

Watsonville, CA has a higher median household income than Fresno, CA by $7,981.

Watsonville, CA overview · Fresno, CA overview · Popular comparisons