Overall
- Modesto
- 104.1
Diff -2.8 RPP
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury vs Modesto
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Modesto is 2.6% less expensive than Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury.
2.6% less expensive
Modesto, CA is 2.6% less expensive than Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 104.1 vs 106.9). A $100,000 salary in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury buys about the same as $97,421 in Modesto; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 106.9 (Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury) vs 104.1 (Modesto)
- $100k in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury ≈ $97,421 purchasing power in Modesto
- Rents drives the gap (-42.0 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair CT:CA 106.9→104.1
TIER-NEAR · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-SHIFT
- TIER-NEAR Near tier
- CROSS-STATE CT × CA
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-SHIFT PP shift
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Modesto
- 105.2
Diff +7.8 RPP
Services
- Modesto
- 152.3
Diff +5.2 RPP
Rents
- Modesto
- 108.5
Diff -42.0 RPP
| Category | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | Modesto | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 106.9 | 104.1 | -2.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 | +7.8 |
| Services | 147.1 | 152.3 | +5.2 |
| Rents | 150.5 | 108.5 | -42.0 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 106.9
Modesto 104.1
Goods
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 97.3
Modesto 105.2
Services
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 147.1
Modesto 152.3
Rents
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 150.5
Modesto 108.5
Vertical line = national average (100)
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Rents creates the largest separation: Modesto is 42.0 points lower. But goods and services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Modesto, CA is 2.6% less expensive than Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area, a meaningful but not extreme shift. The move decision turns on which budget category creates the 2.8-point overall gap.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury corresponds to $97,421 in Modesto.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
106.9
Cost Index
Modesto
104.1
Cost Index
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury would need to be in Modesto for the same purchasing power:
| In Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | In Modesto | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,711 | $-1,289 |
| $75,000 | $73,066 | $-1,934 |
| $100,000 | $97,421 | $-2,579 |
| $150,000 | $146,132 | $-3,868 |
$ in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury = in Modesto
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (106.9 → 104.1), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Modesto more expensive than Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
Modesto is 2.6% less expensive than Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury. The overall cost index is 104.1 vs 106.9 (national average = 100).
What salary in Modesto equals $100K in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury?
A $100,000 salary in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury has the same purchasing power as $97,421 in Modesto. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury and Modesto?
Rents in Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury are indexed at 150.5 while Modesto is at 108.5 (national average = 100). Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.