Fresno vs Great Falls
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026 Data
Fresno
Great Falls
💡 The Verdict
Great Falls is 9% cheaper than Fresno overall. A $75,000 salary in Fresno is equivalent to $67,991 in Great Falls.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
Index values for Fresno (left) vs Great Falls (right). National average = 100.
Detailed Price Comparison
Estimated item-level prices in Fresno versus Great Falls. Differences shown from Fresno perspective.
| Item | Fresno | Great Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Bed Rent | $930/mo | $850/mo | +$80.00 |
| 2-Bed Rent | $1,300/mo | $1,260/mo | +$40.00 |
| 3-Bed Rent | $1,660/mo | $1,620/mo | +$40.00 |
| Bread (loaf) | $2.80 | $2.47 | +$0.33 |
| Milk (gallon) | $3.98 | $3.04 | +$0.94 |
| Eggs (dozen) | $3.27 | $2.61 | +$0.66 |
| Coffee (latte) | $5.81 | $4.70 | +$1.11 |
| Gas (gallon) | $3.34 | $3.19 | +$0.15 |
| Restaurant Meal | $14.87 | $16.71 | $-1.84 |
💰 Salary Equivalence
A $75,000 salary in Fresno has the same purchasing power as $67,991 in Great Falls.
Conversely, $75,000 in Great Falls equals $82,732 in Fresno.
💼 Take-Home Pay Comparison
Estimated annual take-home pay on a $75,000 salary after federal, FICA, and state income taxes.
The $225 difference is driven by California having a higher state income tax rate. California details → · Montana details →
Reading These Numbers: Fresno (107) vs Great Falls (97)
Fresno at 107 is 7% above the US average, while Great Falls at 97 is 3% below average. The cost difference between these cities is relatively modest.
In Fresno, the composite index of 107 reflects a weighted calculation where housing carries the most influence at 111, followed by groceries (101), utilities (106), transportation (109), and healthcare (100). Costs are fairly balanced across categories.
For renters: With median rents of $1,300/mo in Fresno and $1,260/mo in Great Falls, the annual rent difference is approximately $480.0. Over a 5-year period, that compounds to $2,400.0 in savings by choosing the more affordable city.
For homebuyers: The $9,000.0 difference in median home prices between Fresno and Great Falls translates to meaningful differences in mortgage payments at current rates. Factor this into your budget alongside property taxes and insurance, which also vary by location.
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Making Your Decision: Fresno vs Great Falls
Choosing between Fresno and Great Falls involves more than just comparing index numbers. Consider how each category aligns with your personal spending patterns. If you work from home, transportation costs matter less than housing and utilities. If you eat out frequently, the groceries index may understate your actual food spending — look at the restaurant meal prices in the detailed comparison table above instead.
The cost gap between Fresno and Great Falls reflects thousands of individual pricing differences across housing markets, grocery chains, utility providers, and healthcare networks. No two households experience the same effective cost of living even in the same city, which is why the category breakdown matters more than the headline number. Adjust the lifestyle weighting sliders above to see how your spending priorities shift the comparison between these specific metros.