Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Huntington Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN: $2,748 a month against $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Huntington Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index
172

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,748

/mo nomad

Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in Huntington Beach, CA

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 Huntington Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,748 in Indianapolis, IN versus $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $2,748
Huntington Beach, CA $3,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,904 in Indianapolis, IN versus $5,920 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $3,904
Huntington Beach, CA $5,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,060 in Indianapolis, IN versus $8,278 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $5,060
Huntington Beach, CA $8,278

Living in Indianapolis, IN costs roughly 23% less than in Huntington Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 103% above, Huntington Beach, CA 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$15.92 $15.92

27.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$78.9 $78.9

1.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$14.83 $14.83

-19.02%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.84 $5.84

-1.20%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.13 $3.13

0.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.29 $2.29

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 $6.37

$7.27 $7.27

-12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$8.22 $8.22

-5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.19 $1.19

-26.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.10 $5.10

-34.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.88 $4.88

-3.48%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$5.08 $5.08

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$12.22 $12.22

-0.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.37 $12.37

$19.24 $19.24

-35.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$15.42 $15.42

11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.69 $4.69

15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.70 $1.70

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.16 $4.16

14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.57 $5.57

-24.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.47 $4.47

-44.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.16 $3.16

-8.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.09 $2.09

18.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.46 $2.46

-0.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$11.95 $11.95

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 $15.87

$15.10 $15.10

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.25 $3.25

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.38 $4.38

-53.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.85 $1.85

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.38 $34.38

$35.49 $35.49

-3.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.60 $1.60

-41.25%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$28.1K $28.1K

6.92%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.40%

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

$231 $231

$211 $211

9.43%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$62.3 $62.3

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$78.5 $78.5

-17.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.74 $39.74

$44.12 $44.12

-9.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.88 $41.88

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$15.02 $15.02

0.80%

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

$1,761 $1,761

$1,183 $1,183

48.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$43.3K $43.3K

-45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$64.4 $64.4

-10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.93 $44.93

$41.20 $41.20

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$101 $101

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$117 $117

25.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 $1,748

$2,612 $2,612

-33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$2,195 $2,195

-38.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 $2,670

$4,918 $4,918

-45.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$5,279 $5,279

-63.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,724 $2,724

$7,928 $7,928

-65.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 $1,917

$5,031 $5,031

-61.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,287 $4,287

$5,627 $5,627

-23.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.64

-1.05%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 20, 2026

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 48.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.6% 63.8% $855

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$403 14.7%

Huntington Beach, CA

$464 13% 15.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$356 13%

Huntington Beach, CA

$352 9.9% 1.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$338 12.3%

Huntington Beach, CA

$316 8.9% 6.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$162 5.9%

Huntington Beach, CA

$146 4.1% 10.1% $16

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$79 2.9%

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4% 82.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$70 2.6%

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1% 5.9% $4.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Indianapolis, IN and $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Indianapolis, IN vs $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $464, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

3 h behind Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

193,366

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Indianapolis, IN Huntington Beach, CA 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
Huntington Beach, CA

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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 Huntington Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Indianapolis, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Huntington Beach, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,761 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,183 in Huntington Beach, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Indianapolis, IN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Indianapolis, IN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,748 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Indianapolis, IN hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Indianapolis, IN and Huntington Beach, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Indianapolis, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.