Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Fargo, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Fargo, ND: $2,127 a month against $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Indianapolis, IN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in Fargo, ND

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Indianapolis, IN and in Fargo, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Indianapolis, IN vs $2,127 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Indianapolis, IN $2,684
Fargo, ND $2,127

A couple spends around $3,851 per month in Indianapolis, IN vs $3,227 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Indianapolis, IN $3,851
Fargo, ND $3,227

A family of three spends $5,019 per month in Indianapolis, IN vs $4,327 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

Indianapolis, IN $5,019
Fargo, ND $4,327

Indianapolis, IN costs about 26% more than Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Indianapolis, IN and Fargo, ND sit above the global median – Indianapolis, IN by 97%, Fargo, ND by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 $19.99

$17.17 $17.17

16.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 $79.7

$59.0 $59.0

35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.95 $11.95

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.41 $5.41

4.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.56 $2.56

29.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.94 $1.94

36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.36 $5.36

15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.83 $8.83

-8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.23 $1.23

-30.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.40 $3.40

-3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$7.63 $7.63

-39.19%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$4.08 $4.08

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$14.93 $14.93

-16.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$15.52 $15.52

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$21.08 $21.08

-17.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$10.28 $10.28

-45.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.34 $2.34

-37.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.51 $6.51

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.40 $5.40

-21.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$5.10 $5.10

-50.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.76 $3.76

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.95 $1.95

24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.74 $2.74

-7.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 $11.45

$8.60 $8.60

33.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$18.58 $18.58

-16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.62 $2.62

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$5.63 $5.63

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.03 $2.03

-13.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$42.10 $42.10

43.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.58 $4.58

-55.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 $33.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.97 $0.97

-4.12%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.7K $30.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

12.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

1.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$234 $234

$138 $138

69.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$58.1 $58.1

5.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$56.5 $56.5

14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$52.0 $52.0

-29.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.90 $41.90

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$13.96 $13.96

6.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$1,247 $1,247

39.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$49.85 $49.85

13.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.97 $44.97

$47.16 $47.16

-4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$84.2 $84.2

32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$101 $101

42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$1,013 $1,013

62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$790 $790

61.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,666 $2,666

$1,627 $1,627

63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 $1,909

$1,363 $1,363

39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,459 $2,459

12.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,751 $1,751

$1,688 $1,688

3.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,222 $4,222

$3,858 $3,858

9.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.43

2.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6%

Fargo, ND

$790 37.1% 38.2% $488

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1%

Fargo, ND

$522 24.6% 28.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4%

Fargo, ND

$253 11.9% 29.7% $107

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5%

Fargo, ND

$300 14.1% 10.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6%

Fargo, ND

$127 6% 21% $34

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9%

Fargo, ND

$55 * 2.6% 29.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5%

Fargo, ND

$80 3.8% 20.2% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Indianapolis, IN, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Indianapolis, IN versus $59 in Fargo, ND. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Indianapolis, IN vs $522 in Fargo, ND – so Indianapolis, IN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

1 h behind Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

90,056

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Indianapolis, IN Fargo, ND 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
Fargo, ND

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Indianapolis, IN vs Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN costs about 26% more than Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Indianapolis, IN and $3,191 in Fargo, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fargo, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,013 there versus $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Indianapolis, IN and $59 in Fargo, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN and $2,127 in Fargo, ND. That makes Fargo, ND about 21% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN and $2,127 in Fargo, ND. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fargo, ND costs $2,127 versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Fargo, ND. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Indianapolis, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.