City comparison
Burbank, CA is about 200 miles (325 km) from Fresno, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 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 Fresno, CA takes about 24 min, covering roughly 200 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.
Fresno has a population of 541,528, vs 106,389 in Burbank — about 5.1× larger by population. By land area, Fresno covers about 115 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Burbank.
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 | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,004/mo | $1,227/mo | 63.3% higher in Burbank |
| Median home value | $959,700 | $321,800 | 198.2% higher in Burbank |
| Median household income | $91,455 | $63,001 | 45.2% higher in Burbank |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Burbank |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 157.8 | 1.4% higher in Fresno |
| 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 $76,378 in Fresno to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 23.6% cheaper overall than Burbank, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 77% higher in Burbank than in Fresno. If you earn $80,000 in Burbank, you'd need about $61,103 in Fresno to keep the same standard of living.