City comparison
Modesto, CA is about 100 miles (175 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 15 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 Modesto, CA to San Francisco, CA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 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 218,308 in Modesto — about 3.9× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 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 | Modesto | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,497/mo | $2,316/mo | 54.7% higher in San Francisco |
| Median home value | $381,800 | $1,348,700 | 253.2% higher in San Francisco |
| Median household income | $73,375 | $136,689 | 86.3% higher in San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 103.9 | 1.1% higher in Modesto |
| Utilities index | 149.8 | 162.7 | 8.6% higher in San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 102.0 | 1.4% higher in San Francisco |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Modesto 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 Modesto, you'd need $133,690 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Modesto, CA is about 25.2% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 77% higher in San Francisco than in Modesto. If you earn $80,000 in Modesto, you'd need about $106,952 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.