City comparison
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 | Chico | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,360/mo | $1,227/mo | 10.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $427,600 | $321,800 | 32.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $63,001 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.5 | 102.2 | 1.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 124.1 | 122.1 | 1.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 100.7 | 2.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.2 | 98.7 | 3.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chico, you'd need $94,623 in Fresno to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Chico, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Fresno than in Chico. If you earn $80,000 in Chico, you'd need about $75,698 in Fresno to keep the same standard of living.