Cost of living in Fresno research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Fresno is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Fresno is 118, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fresno is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Fresno ranks as the #103 cheapest in California out of 634.
Fresno ranks as the #4,280 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fresno is $386,172.
The median income in Fresno is $66,804.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fresno has an overall cost of living index of 118, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Fresno has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Fresno ranks as #103 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Fresno ranks as the #531 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Fresno, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fresno. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fresno is 106.
The Groceries index in Fresno is 102.
The Health index in Fresno is 96.
The Housing index in Fresno is 130.
The Transportation index in Fresno is 119.
The Utilities index in Fresno is 142.
| Living Expense | Fresno | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 118 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 130 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 142 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fresno is $386,172.
The Median Rent in Fresno is $1,324.
The Median Income in Fresno is $66,804.
The Home Value To Income in Fresno is 5.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fresno is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Fresno | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $386,172 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,324 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $66,804 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fresno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.56 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.64 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $23.78 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.83 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fresno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.21 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.1 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.99 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.96 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.86 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fresno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.88 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $166.71 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $148.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fresno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $70.51 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fresno | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $299.78 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $191.56 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fresno. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Clovis, CA has a cost of living index of 128, 1.1x Fresno.
Sanger, CA has a cost of living index of 119, 1.0x Fresno.
Selma, CA has a cost of living index of 113, 1.0x Fresno.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clovis, CA | 122,719 | 128 | 1.1x |
| Sanger, CA | 26,515 | 119 | 1.0x |
| Selma, CA | 24,586 | 113 | 1.0x |
| Kerman, CA | 16,492 | 114 | 1.0x |
| Parlier, CA | 14,545 | 106 | 0.9x |
| Fowler, CA | 6,930 | 121 | 1.0x |
| Old Fig Garden, CA | 5,387 | 132 | 1.1x |