Cost of Living in Fresno, CA, United States

Updated On December 26, 2025
Cost of Living Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data

United States FlagUnited States : Cost of Living by City

Cost of Living in United States

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Fresno, CA?

Fresno is a city located in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

The city is close to world-famous national parks, most notably Sequoia and Yosemite, plus it’s an hour away from a ski trip and two hours away from a beach trip.

If you’re a fan of hot sunny weather, it’s the place for you, since, due to constant sunlight, Fresno grows about 90% of the entire United States fruits and vegetables.

The cost of living is reasonable compared to other parts of California.

It’s close to everything and a three-hour drive to San Francisco and L.A.

Cost of Living Breakdown in Fresno, CA

Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

There are actually a lot of good eateries in Fresno, you just have to seek them out.

You can find all kinds of good cuisines and food places as usual for a city as large as Fresno.

Usually, people that are not well off do not eat in fancy restaurants, since a meal in an inexpensive restaurant in Fresno would cost you around 16.50$.

Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) $16.50
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) $7.00
Water (0.33 Liter) $1.65
Markets

MARKETS

Fresno County is one of the most productive agricultural-producing regions in the world. In this city, you can buy every conceivable fruit or vegetable grown under the sun.

The Vineyard Farmer’s Market is the largest and most extensive of the farmer’s markets in the area.

Fresno State’s Farm Market sells the produce grown by the university’s agriculture department, plus fresh cheese, ice cream, and wine.

Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter) $1.13
Loaf Bread (500g) $3.13
Eggs (12) $4.38
Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

The money you save on car expenses can be used for Uber or Lyft.

San Francisco Municipal Railway is the best way to get around in the city, plus there are connections to Bart and many other Bay Area means of transportation.

It’s not expensive either, with a one-way ticket costing only about 1.27$.

Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket $1.38
Monthly Pass $37.50
Gasoline $1.27
Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities are expensive in Fresno too, though it does depend on the amount of electricity you use and on the size of your apartment.

For example, for a bit larger apartment, of about 85m2, all basic utilities like heating, cooling, electricity, and gas will cost you around 289.61$.

Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) $289.61
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local $0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) $71.1
Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

When it comes to fitness and sports, you should know that practicing sports or going to the gym in Fresno is rather inexpensive.

A gym or a fitness club membership will cost you only around 44$, while going to the cinema and enjoying some movie time has never been more expensive.

Prepare to pay a whopping 15$ per ticket.

Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult $44.9
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) $45.00
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release $15.00
Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

River Park Shopping Center is the most popular shopping center and hangout site in the city of Fresno.

And if you’re set on shopping in Fresno, you should get familiar with the prices right away.

Quality jeans will cost you around 52$, and you won’t find any good running sneakers without cashing out close to 70$.

Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) $52.00
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) $28.33
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) $67.22
Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Renting an apartment or a home is cheap (in some cases dirt cheap), especially by Californian standards.

Of course, the cost of apartments varies across the country, but if you intend to rent something in the center of Fresno, you will have to pay around 1,375.0$ for a small apartment.

A spacious apartment or a house will cost you from 2,425.00$ and upwards.

Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center $1375.0
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center $1259.80
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center $2425.00

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Fresno, CA?

Surprisingly, for a popular city in California, the biggest expense of living in Fresno isn’t rent, but food.

Food is definitely the biggest expense for anyone living in Fresno – though this is the situation in most countries around the world.

Food is an everyday necessity and when it’s not cheap, it amounts to a high monthly expense.

Rent is barely half a percent behind food – taking up almost 30% of one’s entire salary.

Other significant expenses for the people of Fresno are restaurants (a very high percentage) and transportation, while clothing and shoes draw the least amount of money from them.

Average Costs Breakdown

13.1%
29.7%
7.7%
9.7%
6%
1.6%
32.2%

Fresno, CA: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

If you have any qualifications related to agriculture, you probably will find a good job, since agriculture is big here.

There are many new open jobs in Fresno, and it’s a city with many opportunities and relatively low prices for a Californian city.

The usual minimum wage is around 1200$ which is a decent minimum wage and most people can earn for a normal life.

An average monthly salary in Fresno is around 4,551.39$ which is absolutely enough for a comfortable life in this country.

Average Salary$4551.39
Minimum Wage$1256.67
Mortgage Interest Rate6.70%

Fresno Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Fresno Safety Review

Safety Index:
38
OVERALL RISKMEDIUM
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISKLOW
PICKPOCKETS RISKMEDIUM
NATURAL DISASTERS RISKHIGH
MUGGING RISKMEDIUM
TERRORISM RISKLOW
SCAMS RISKMEDIUM
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISKMEDIUM
TAP WATER RISKLOW

Cost of Living by City in United States

City Cost of Living Index
United States FlagAlbany, NY 72.4
United States FlagAlbuquerque, NM 72.4
United States FlagAnchorage, AK 72.4
United States FlagAnn Arbor, MI 72.4
United States FlagArlington, TX 72.4
United States FlagAsheville, NC 72.4
United States FlagAtlanta, GA 72.4
United States FlagAustin, TX 72.4
United States FlagBakersfield, CA 72.4
United States FlagBaltimore, MD 72.4
United States FlagBellevue, WA 72.4
United States FlagBellingham, WA 72.4
United States FlagBerkeley, CA 72.4
United States FlagBirmingham, AL 72.4
United States FlagBoise, ID 72.4
United States FlagBoston, MA 72.4
United States FlagBoulder, CO 72.4
United States FlagBrooklyn, NY 72.4
United States FlagBuffalo, NY 72.4
United States FlagBurlington, VT 72.4
United States FlagCharleston, SC 72.4
United States FlagCharlotte, NC 73.33
United States FlagChattanooga, TN 72.4
United States FlagChicago, IL 72.4
United States FlagCincinnati, OH 72.4
United States FlagCleveland, OH 72.4
United States FlagColumbia, SC 72.4
United States FlagColumbus, OH 72.4
United States FlagDallas, TX 72.4
United States FlagDayton, OH 72.4
United States FlagDenver, CO 72.4
United States FlagDes Moines, IA 72.4
United States FlagDetroit, MI 72.4
United States FlagEl Paso, TX 72.4
United States FlagEugene, OR 72.4
United States FlagEverett, WA 72.4
United States FlagFayetteville, AR 72.4
United States FlagFort Myers, FL 72.4
United States FlagFort Wayne, IN 72.4
United States FlagFort Worth, TX 72.4
United States FlagGainesville, FL 74.2
United States FlagGrand Rapids, MI 74.2
United States FlagGreensboro, NC 74.2
United States FlagHartford, CT 74.2
United States FlagHonolulu, HI 74.2
United States FlagHouston, TX 74.2
United States FlagHuntsville, AL 74.2
United States FlagIndianapolis, IN 74.2
United States FlagIrvine, CA 74.2
United States FlagJacksonville, FL 74.2
United States FlagJersey City, NJ 74.2
United States FlagKansas City, MO 74.2
United States FlagKnoxville, TN 74.2
United States FlagLas Vegas, NV 74.2
United States FlagLexington, KY 74.2
United States FlagLittle Rock, AR 74.2
United States FlagLong Beach, CA 74.2
United States FlagLos Angeles, CA 74.2
United States FlagLouisville, KY 74.2
United States FlagLubbock, TX 74.2
United States FlagMadison, WI 74.2
United States FlagMemphis, TN 74.2
United States FlagMiami, FL 74.2
United States FlagMilwaukee, WI 74.2
United States FlagMinneapolis, MN 74.2
United States FlagNashville, TN 74.2
United States FlagNew Orleans, LA 74.2
United States FlagNew York, NY 74.2
United States FlagOakland, CA 74.2
United States FlagOklahoma City, OK 74.2
United States FlagOlympia, WA 74.2
United States FlagOrlando, FL 74.2
United States FlagPeoria, IL 72.4
United States FlagPhiladelphia, PA 72.4
United States FlagPhoenix, AZ 72.4
United States FlagPittsburgh, PA 72.4
United States FlagPortland, ME 72.4
United States FlagPortland, OR 72.4
United States FlagRaleigh, NC 72.4
United States FlagReno, NV 72.4
United States FlagRichmond, VA 74.2
United States FlagRochester, NY 74.2
United States FlagSacramento, CA 74.2
United States FlagSaint Louis, MO 74.2
United States FlagSaint Paul, MN 74.2
United States FlagSaint Petersburg, FL 74.2
United States FlagSalem, OR 74.2
United States FlagSalt Lake City, UT 74.2
United States FlagSan Antonio, TX 74.2
United States FlagSan Diego, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Francisco, CA 74.2
United States FlagSan Jose, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Barbara, CA 74.2
United States FlagSanta Rosa, CA 74.2
United States FlagSeattle, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpokane, WA 74.2
United States FlagSpringfield, MO 74.2
United States FlagSyracuse, NY 74.2
United States FlagTacoma, WA 74.2
United States FlagTallahassee, FL 74.2
United States FlagTampa, FL 74.2
United States FlagToledo, OH 74.2
United States FlagTucson, AZ 74.2
United States FlagTulsa, OK 74.2
United States FlagVancouver, WA 74.2
United States FlagVirginia Beach, VA 74.2
United States FlagWashington, DC 74.2
United States FlagWest Palm Beach, FL 74.2
United States FlagWichita, KS 74.2

Where to Next?

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

1 Review on Fresno, CA

  1. It sounds like Fresno has a lot going for it, especially with that blend of nature and convenience. The cost of living being reasonable is a big plus too; it can be tough finding affordable options in California these days. It makes me think about how much impact a location can have on our daily lives.

Fresno, CA Rated 4 / 5 based on 1 user reviews.

Share Your Experience

Share
Facebook Pinterest Review
1