Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Fresno vs Scranton

Fresno vs Scranton

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Scranton 15% cheaper Moderate / Moderate

Fresno

Steven Kelly/Unsplash

Scranton

Nicholas Bukofski/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,603

Fresno

$3,061

Scranton

Internet

279

Mbps

279

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Fresno

Moderate

Scranton

Air Quality

5/5

Fresno

5/5

Scranton

Healthcare

High

Fresno

Low

Scranton

Population

522.1k

Fresno

76.7k

Scranton

Fresno and Scranton are both in United States, making this one of the most common comparisons for digital nomads planning a base in the region. This guide breaks down the key differences across cost, internet, safety, weather, and quality of life.

Cost of Living

Scranton edges ahead on affordability at $3061/mo versus Fresno's $3603/mo, a 15% difference worth considering for budget-focused nomads.

For families, Fresno costs $5346.5625/mo compared to Scranton's $5258.0625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Internet speeds are nearly identical — Fresno at 279 Mbps and Scranton at 279 Mbps. Both handle video calls and uploads well.

Quality of Life

Both Fresno and Scranton share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Fresno offers better healthcare infrastructure than Scranton — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Fresno is April (around 23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414), while Scranton peaks in September (25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 399). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

FresnoScranton

Nomad$3,603/mo$3,061/mo

Expat$2,281/mo$2,149/mo

Local$1,528/mo$1,502/mo

Family$5,347/mo$5,258/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

FresnoScranton

City Speed

279 Mbps

Country Speed279 Mbps279 Mbps

Environment & Health

FresnoScranton

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighLow

ClimateHighModerate

Humidity7281

Quality of Life

FresnoScranton

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareHighLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Fresno

Scranton

Jan

13°

0mm364

0°

0mm325

Feb

15°

1mm370

2°

0mm339

Mar

17°

0mm374

8°

0mm344

Apr

23°

0mm414

13°

1mm333

May

30°

0mm414

23°

0mm377

Jun

37°

0mm364

29°

0mm394

Jul

43°

0mm354

32°

0mm397

Aug

37°

0mm364

28°

1mm371

Sep

35°

0mm364

25°

0mm399

Oct

27°

0mm414

16°

0mm359

Nov

16°

0mm374

8°

0mm349

Dec

15°

0mm364

-1°

0mm325

Who Should Choose Fresno?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in April — 23 degrees, score 414

Who Should Choose Scranton?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 76.7k residents
Peak season in September — 25 degrees, score 399

Overall Verdict

This one is genuinely close. Both Fresno ($3603/mo) and Scranton ($3061/mo) offer strong value for digital nomads — the right choice depends on your personal priorities.

Granular Price Comparison

Fresno Scranton

ItemFresnoScrantonDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$15—

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$60—

—

McMeal or equivalent combo$9$8

11%

Cappuccino (regular)$4.99$4.6

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$5.62—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$7$4

43%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.56$1.5

41%

Water (0.33L)$1.43$1.25

13%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.17$0.92

21%

White bread (500g)$2.67$2.41

10%

White rice (1kg)$3.16$3.16

Eggs (12)$2.83$2.64

Chicken fillets (1kg)$11.51$11.02

Beef round (1kg)$17.77$6.37

64%

Local cheese (1kg)$10.71$14.23

25%

Apples (1kg)$3.88$6

35%

Bananas (1kg)$1.46$1.96

26%

Oranges (1kg)$3.15$8.82

64%

Tomatoes (1kg)$3.55$3.23

Potatoes (1kg)$1.67$2.46

32%

Onions (1kg)$1.82$2.09

13%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.5$1.66

10%

Water (1.5L bottle)$2.16$0.89

59%

Wine, mid-range bottle$9$11

18%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.51—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.29$4.25

23%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$9.43$8.86

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.5$1.75

14%

Monthly transport pass$37.5$60

38%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$4$3

25%

Taxi per 1km$1.52$1.94

22%

Taxi 1hr waiting$40$12

70%

Gasoline (1L)$1.48$1.28

14%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,000$19,000

21%

Toyota Corolla (new)$22,225$26,000

15%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$280.82$185.51

34%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$67.72$85

20%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.25$0.1

60%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$34$28

18%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$45—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$14$11

21%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$2,000$1,800

10%

International primary school/yr$12,000$7,800

35%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$41.86$37.49

10%

Summer dress (chain store)$30$41.33

27%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$66.87$76.33

12%

Men's leather business shoes$101.25$75

26%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,333.33$1,550

14%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,400$1,000

29%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,700$2,500

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$2,300$1,500

35%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,443.41—

—

Price per m², outside centre$1,614.59$1,076.39

33%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$4,489.58$2,178

51%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.19$4.45

14%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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