City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 300 miles (475 km) from Modesto, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 6 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 Los Angeles, CA to Modesto, CA takes about 35 min, covering roughly 300 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.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 218,308 in Modesto — about 17.8× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 43 sq mi for Modesto.
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 | Los Angeles | Modesto | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $1,497/mo | 19.6% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $381,800 | 115.5% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $73,375 | 3.9% higher in Los Angeles |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 149.8 | 1.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 100.7 | 3.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Los Angeles |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need $80,665 in Modesto to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Modesto, CA is about 19.3% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 53% higher in Los Angeles than in Modesto. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $64,532 in Modesto to keep the same standard of living.