Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Pullman, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Pullman, WA: $2,297 a month against $2,689 in Indianapolis, IN, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Indianapolis, IN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Pullman, WA
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Pullman, WA Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Pullman, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in Pullman, WA

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 Pullman, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,297 in Pullman, WA.

Indianapolis, IN $2,689
Pullman, WA $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,862 in Indianapolis, IN versus $3,370 in Pullman, WA.

Indianapolis, IN $3,862
Pullman, WA $3,370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,035 in Indianapolis, IN versus $4,443 in Pullman, WA.

Indianapolis, IN $5,035
Pullman, WA $4,443

Living in Indianapolis, IN is roughly 17% more expensive than in Pullman, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 99% above, Pullman, WA 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 $20.10

$16.78 $16.78

19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$64.8 $64.8

23.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$8.62 $8.62

39.56%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.64 $4.64

19.40%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.14 $2.14

46.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.81 $1.81

46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 $6.39

$5.61 $5.61

13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$5.65 $5.65

44.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.01 $1.01

-10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.64 $3.64

-6.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.78 $3.78

28.57%

Eggs

$3.63 $3.63

$5.40 $5.40

-32.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$21.22 $21.22

-42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$14.09 $14.09

-10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$23.43 $23.43

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$5.04 $5.04

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.20 $2.20

-31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.42 $3.42

40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$8.65 $8.65

-50.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.57 $2.57

-5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.08 $3.08

-4.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.51 $3.51

-32.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.82 $2.82

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.31 $11.31

$8.34 $8.34

35.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$13.56 $13.56

13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.70 $1.70

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$8.93 $8.93

-59.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.99 $0.99

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 $59.3

$30.23 $30.23

96.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.91 $3.91

-49.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.83 $3.83

-54.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 $33.87

$49.74 $49.74

-31.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.02 $1.02

-0.98%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$19.9K $19.9K

55.40%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$19.6K $19.6K

34.64%

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

$233 $233

$105 $105

123.14%

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

$62.0 $62.0

$85.6 $85.6

-27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 $63.6

$52.1 $52.1

21.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 $37.02

$30.33 $30.33

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.34 $41.34

$9.81 $9.81

321.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$14.80 $14.80

1.42%

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

$1,730 $1,730

$1,223 $1,223

41.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.4K $21.4K

21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$52.6 $52.6

9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 $45.22

$22.51 $22.51

100.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$99.1 $99.1

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$159 $159

-9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 $1,685

$1,204 $1,204

40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,018 $1,018

26.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,762 $2,762

$1,982 $1,982

39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$1,511 $1,511

27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,818 $2,818

$2,245 $2,245

25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,712 $1,712

$2,159 $2,159

-20.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,105 $4,105

$5,600 $5,600

-26.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.54

2.45%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Pullman, WA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.8%

Pullman, WA

$1K 44.3% 20.7% $265

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1%

Pullman, WA

$498 21.7% 22.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$359 13.4%

Pullman, WA

$242 10.6% 32.5% $117

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$335 12.5%

Pullman, WA

$271 11.8% 19.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$162 6%

Pullman, WA

$150 6.5% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$77 2.9%

Pullman, WA

$57 2.5% 25.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$67 2.5%

Pullman, WA

$60 2.6% 10.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,685 in Indianapolis, IN and $1,204 in Pullman, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pullman, WA pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80 in Indianapolis, IN vs $65 in Pullman, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $498, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 Pullman, WA

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

3 h behind Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

32,901

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Indianapolis, IN Pullman, WA 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Indianapolis, IN vs Pullman, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pullman, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Indianapolis, IN. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pullman, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Indianapolis, IN. 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: $1,685 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,204 in Pullman, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pullman, WA – a meal for two runs $65 versus $80 in Indianapolis, IN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,297 in Pullman, WA – Pullman, WA is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Pullman, WA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.