Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living costs are similar in Indianapolis, IN and in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,684 and $2,672 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
Learn more

Indianapolis, IN Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
Learn more

Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

Jump to prices

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Indianapolis, IN $2,684
Salt Lake City, UT $2,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Indianapolis, IN versus $3,866 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Indianapolis, IN $3,851
Salt Lake City, UT $3,866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,019 in Indianapolis, IN versus $5,061 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Indianapolis, IN $5,019
Salt Lake City, UT $5,061

Monthly costs are close between Indianapolis, IN and Salt Lake City, UT; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 97% above, Salt Lake City, UT 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 $19.99

$17.76 $17.76

12.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 $79.7

$74.7 $74.7

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$9.97 $9.97

19.26%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.17 $5.17

9.28%

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

$3.31 $3.31

$2.20 $2.20

50.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.65 $1.65

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$5.83 $5.83

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.86 $7.86

2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.88 $0.88

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.97 $3.97

-17.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.02 $4.02

15.42%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$4.23 $4.23

-11.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.84 $11.84

5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$12.11 $12.11

2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$17.15 $17.15

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.00 $4.00

39.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.38 $1.38

6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.65 $3.65

35.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.07 $4.07

3.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.20 $2.20

14.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.41 $2.41

20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.84 $1.84

32.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.94 $1.94

30.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 $11.45

$10.31 $10.31

11.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$14.84 $14.84

4.85%

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

$3.27 $3.27

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.48 $2.48

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$85.1 $85.1

-28.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 $2.47

-17.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.29 $2.29

-26.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 $33.96

$24.83 $24.83

36.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.16 $1.16

-19.83%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$34.3K $34.3K

-10.34%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.65%

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

$234 $234

$199 $199

17.60%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$52.3 $52.3

17.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$82.2 $82.2

-21.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$33.66 $33.66

9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.90 $41.90

$27.63 $27.63

51.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$14.98 $14.98

-1.20%

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

$1,736 $1,736

$1,323 $1,323

31.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$20.5K $20.5K

19.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$69.9 $69.9

-19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.97 $44.97

$45.60 $45.60

-1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$111 $111

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$108 $108

32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$1,583 $1,583

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$1,337 $1,337

-4.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,666 $2,666

$2,828 $2,828

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 $1,909

$2,120 $2,120

-9.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,613 $4,613

-39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,751 $1,751

$3,012 $3,012

-41.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,222 $4,222

$4,396 $4,396

-3.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.46

1.70%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 50% 4.6% $59

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1%

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4% 5.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$334 12.5% 7.3% $26

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11% 11.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6%

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.6% 6.2% $10

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9%

Salt Lake City, UT

$109 4.1% 39.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4% 4.3% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN and $1,583 in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 4% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Indianapolis, IN vs $75 in Salt Lake City, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $384 per month, with Salt Lake City, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

2 h behind Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

200,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Indianapolis, IN Salt Lake City, UT 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,583 in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,736 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,323 in Salt Lake City, UT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT – a meal for two runs $75 versus $80 in Indianapolis, IN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT delivers better value at $2,672 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Salt Lake City, UT hard to pass up.