City comparison
Brea, CA is about 150 miles (250 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min 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 El Centro, CA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Brea has a population of 47,099, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about the same size. By land area, Brea covers about 13 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for El Centro.
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 | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,218/mo | $938/mo | 136.5% higher in Brea |
| Median home value | $834,600 | $266,500 | 213.2% higher in Brea |
| Median household income | $120,226 | $54,922 | 118.9% higher in Brea |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Brea |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 154.3 | 0.8% 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 $66,912 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 33.1% cheaper overall than Brea, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 155% higher in Brea than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Brea, you'd need about $53,529 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.