Overall
- Modesto
- 104.1
- Bellingham
- 103.3
Diff -0.8 RPP
Modesto vs Bellingham
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Bellingham is 0.7% less expensive than Modesto.
0.7% less expensive
Bellingham, WA is 0.7% less expensive than Modesto, CA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 103.3 vs 104.1). A $100,000 salary in Modesto buys about the same as $99,257 in Bellingham; the largest component gap is services.
- Overall RPP 104.1 (Modesto) vs 103.3 (Bellingham)
- $100k in Modesto ≈ $99,257 purchasing power in Bellingham
- Services drives the gap (-52.4 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair CA:WA 104.1→103.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE CA × WA
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
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.
Modesto
104.1
Cost Index
Bellingham
103.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Modesto, CA and Bellingham, WA are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.8 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Services creates the largest separation: Bellingham is 52.4 points lower. But rents move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
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.
For a service-heavy household, test childcare, health, and other locally supplied costs before relying on rent alone. The BEA ratio converts $100,000 in Modesto to $99,257 in Bellingham, but it is not a personal spending weight.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Modesto
- 105.2
- Bellingham
- 105.0
Diff -0.1 RPP
Services
- Modesto
- 152.3
- Bellingham
- 99.9
Diff -52.4 RPP
Rents
- Modesto
- 108.5
- Bellingham
- 112.9
Diff +4.5 RPP
| Category | Modesto | Bellingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104.1 | 103.3 | -0.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 | -0.1 |
| Services | 152.3 | 99.9 | -52.4 |
| Rents | 108.5 | 112.9 | +4.5 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Modesto 104.1
Bellingham 103.3
Goods
Modesto 105.2
Bellingham 105.0
Services
Modesto 152.3
Bellingham 99.9
Rents
Modesto 108.5
Bellingham 112.9
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Modesto would need to be in Bellingham for the same purchasing power:
| In Modesto | In Bellingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,628 | $-372 |
| $75,000 | $74,442 | $-558 |
| $100,000 | $99,257 | $-743 |
| $150,000 | $148,885 | $-1,115 |
$ in Modesto = in Bellingham
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (104.1 → 103.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellingham more expensive than Modesto?
Bellingham is 0.7% less expensive than Modesto. The overall cost index is 103.3 vs 104.1 (national average = 100).
What salary in Bellingham equals $100K in Modesto?
A $100,000 salary in Modesto has the same purchasing power as $99,257 in Bellingham. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Modesto and Bellingham?
Rents in Modesto are indexed at 108.5 while Bellingham is at 112.9 (national average = 100). Bellingham 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.