City comparison
Brea, CA is about 325 miles (550 km) from Cupertino, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Brea, CA to Cupertino, CA takes about 40 min, covering roughly 325 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Cupertino has a population of 59,763, vs 47,099 in Brea — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Brea covers about 13 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Cupertino.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Brea | Cupertino | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,218/mo | $3,501/mo | 57.8% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $834,600 | $2,000,001 | 139.6% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $120,226 | $223,667 | 86.0% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Brea |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 153.8 | 1.1% higher in Brea |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Brea |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Brea |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brea, you'd need $113,280 in Cupertino to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Brea, CA is about 11.7% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% higher in Cupertino than in Brea. If you earn $80,000 in Brea, you'd need about $90,624 in Cupertino to keep the same standard of living.