Cost of Living: Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA versus $3,974/mo in Fresno, CA. In the model, rent is about 28.78% of gross in Santa Ana, CA versus 19.29% in Fresno, CA, so Fresno, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Santa Ana, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Fresno, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Ana, CA
28.78%
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 Santa Ana, 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: Santa Ana, CA

Cost of Living Index

Santa Ana, CA: 142.8 (U.S. = 100) · Fresno, CA: 108.5 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Santa Ana, CA: $1,877/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Fresno, CA: $1,258/mo

Median rent in Santa Ana, CA is $619/mo higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Home Price

Santa Ana, CA: $657,800 · Fresno, CA: $348,500

Median home price in Santa Ana, CA is $309,300 higher than in Fresno, CA.

Median Household Income

Santa Ana, CA: $88,354 · Fresno, CA: $66,804

Santa Ana, CA has a higher median household income than Fresno, CA by $21,550.

Santa Ana, CA overview · Fresno, CA overview · Popular comparisons