City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Moreno Valley, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 30 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 El Centro, CA to Moreno Valley, CA takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Moreno Valley has a population of 209,578, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 4.7× larger by population. By land area, Moreno Valley covers about 51 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 | El Centro | Moreno Valley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,858/mo | 98.1% higher in Moreno Valley |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $421,400 | 58.1% higher in Moreno Valley |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $82,637 | 50.5% higher in Moreno Valley |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 101.7 | 3.3% higher in El Centro |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 146.5 | 5.3% higher in El Centro |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 101.6 | 0.9% higher in Moreno Valley |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 101.5 | 0.9% higher in Moreno Valley |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in El Centro, you'd need $128,341 in Moreno Valley to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 22.1% cheaper overall than Moreno Valley, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 95% higher in Moreno Valley than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $102,673 in Moreno Valley to keep the same standard of living.