City comparison
Madera, CA is about 175 miles (275 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 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 Madera, CA to San Francisco, CA takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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.
San Francisco has a population of 851,036, vs 66,784 in Madera — about 12.7× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Madera.
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 | Madera | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,188/mo | $2,316/mo | 94.9% higher in San Francisco |
| Median home value | $296,800 | $1,348,700 | 354.4% higher in San Francisco |
| Median household income | $61,626 | $136,689 | 121.8% higher in San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 103.9 | 1.1% higher in Madera |
| Utilities index | 157.8 | 162.7 | 3.1% higher in San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 102.0 | 1.4% higher in San Francisco |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Madera slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Madera, you'd need $140,249 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Madera, CA is about 28.7% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 103% higher in San Francisco than in Madera. If you earn $80,000 in Madera, you'd need about $112,199 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.