Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Fresno, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Irvine, CA versus $3,974/mo in Fresno, CA. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 19.29% in Fresno, CA, so Fresno, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Fresno, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Fresno, CA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Irvine, CA and Fresno, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Fresno, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Fresno, CA
  • Lower home prices: Fresno, CA
  • Higher median household income: Irvine, CA

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Fresno, CA: 108.5 (U.S. = 100)

Fresno, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Irvine, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Fresno, CA: $1,258/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $1,491/mo higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Fresno, CA: $348,500

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $766,900 higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Fresno, CA: $66,804

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Fresno, CA by $62,843.

Irvine, CA overview · Fresno, CA overview · Popular comparisons