Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Montclair, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN: $2,684 a month against $2,899 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in Montclair, NJ

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 Montclair, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,899 in Montclair, NJ.

Indianapolis, IN $2,684
Montclair, NJ $2,899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Indianapolis, IN versus $4,264 in Montclair, NJ.

Indianapolis, IN $3,851
Montclair, NJ $4,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,019 in Indianapolis, IN versus $5,629 in Montclair, NJ.

Indianapolis, IN $5,019
Montclair, NJ $5,629

Living in Indianapolis, IN costs roughly 7% less than in Montclair, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 97% above, Montclair, NJ 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 $19.99

$20.04 $20.04

-0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 $79.7

$80.7 $80.7

-1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.14 $13.14

-9.51%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.35 $6.35

-11.02%

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

$3.31 $3.31

$2.45 $2.45

35.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.46 $1.46

80.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$8.14 $8.14

-24.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.17 $7.17

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.27 $1.27

-32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.48 $4.48

-27.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.05 $6.05

-23.31%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$6.13 $6.13

-38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$13.76 $13.76

-9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$10.20 $10.20

22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$19.41 $19.41

-10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$6.04 $6.04

-7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.26 $2.26

-34.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.22 $4.22

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.44 $5.44

-22.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.14 $3.14

-19.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.00 $3.00

-3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.90 $2.90

-16.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.71 $2.71

-6.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 $11.45

$14.55 $14.55

-21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$15.14 $15.14

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.86 $1.86

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.57 $3.57

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.06 $3.06

-33.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.19 $2.19

-22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 $33.96

$42.69 $42.69

-20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.13 $1.13

-17.70%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

11.45%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.09%

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

$234 $234

$170 $170

37.47%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$51.6 $51.6

18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$50.5 $50.5

27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$80.8 $80.8

-54.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.90 $41.90

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$20.23 $20.23

-26.84%

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

$1,736 $1,736

$1,998 $1,998

-13.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$16.2K $16.2K

51.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$70.1 $70.1

-19.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.97 $44.97

$51.0 $51.0

-11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$101 $101

11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$120 $120

19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$2,261 $2,261

-26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$1,540 $1,540

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,666 $2,666

$3,631 $3,631

-26.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 $1,909

$2,557 $2,557

-25.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,751 $1,751

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,222 $4,222

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.8

-3.38%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Montclair, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6%

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.1% 20.5% $262

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1%

Montclair, NJ

$451 15.6% 11% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4%

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4% 24.3% $87

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5%

Montclair, NJ

$347 12% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6%

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3% 4.2% $6.7

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9%

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 82.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5%

Montclair, NJ

$121 4.2% 82.4% $55

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 $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN and $2,261 in Montclair, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80 in Indianapolis, IN vs $81 in Montclair, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $451 per month, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

Same time as Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

37,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Indianapolis, IN Montclair, NJ 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
Montclair, NJ

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 Montclair, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Montclair, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Indianapolis, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,026 in Indianapolis, IN and $4,348 in Montclair, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,261 in Montclair, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,684 per month in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,899 in Montclair, NJ – Indianapolis, IN is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Montclair, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.