City comparison
El Monte, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Gardena, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 25 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 Monte, CA to Gardena, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
El Monte has a population of 108,682, vs 60,377 in Gardena — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, El Monte covers about 9.6 sq mi vs 5.8 sq mi for Gardena.
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 Monte | Gardena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,605/mo | $1,638/mo | 2.1% higher in Gardena |
| Median home value | $597,200 | $619,900 | 3.8% higher in Gardena |
| Median household income | $59,929 | $75,443 | 25.9% higher in Gardena |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
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 Monte, you'd need $100,074 in Gardena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Monte and Gardena have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in El Monte, you'd need about $80,059 in Gardena to keep the same standard of living.