Los Angeles vs Fresno
Los Angeles, CA · Fresno, CA
Fresno is 40% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.
Home Price
Los: $860,000
Fresno: $345,000
Monthly Rent
Los: $2,050/mo
Fresno: $1,273/mo
COL Index
Los: 173
Fresno: 103
Median Income
Los: $76,000
Fresno: $56,600
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $59,538 in Fresno — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Fresno cost 60% more (-$515,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Fresno saves you $777/month — $9,324 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,273/mo in Fresno.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $2,588/year in Fresno. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $56,600 in Fresno. Fresno residents earn 26% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 24 minutes in Fresno. Over a year, that's 4000 extra minutes (67 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to Fresno, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $29,769 | -$20,231 |
| $75,000 | $44,653 | -$30,347 |
| $100,000 | $59,538 | -$40,462 |
| $150,000 | $89,306 | -$60,694 |
| $200,000 | $119,075 | -$80,925 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Los Angeles Calculators
Fresno Calculators
Related Comparisons
Los Angeles vs Fresno: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles or Fresno cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Fresno is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while Fresno scores 103 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and Fresno?
The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $345,000 in Fresno — a difference of $515,000 (60%).
What salary do I need in Fresno to match my Los Angeles income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $59,538 in Fresno in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Los Angeles has a lower property tax rate (0.73% vs 0.75%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,588/year vs $6,278/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.