City comparison
Burbank, CA is about 175 miles (300 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 4 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 Burbank, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 22 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Burbank has a population of 106,389, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Burbank covers about 17 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 | Burbank | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,004/mo | $938/mo | 113.6% higher in Burbank |
| Median home value | $959,700 | $266,500 | 260.1% higher in Burbank |
| Median household income | $91,455 | $54,922 | 66.5% higher in Burbank |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Burbank |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 154.3 | 0.8% higher in Burbank |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Burbank |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Burbank |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burbank, you'd need $67,225 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 32.8% cheaper overall than Burbank, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 153% higher in Burbank than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Burbank, you'd need about $53,780 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.