Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and San Bernardino, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Indianapolis, IN and in San Bernardino, CA: $2,785 and $2,856 a month, rent and utilities included.

134

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

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,856

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indianapolis, IN and in San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,856 in San Bernardino, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $2,785
San Bernardino, CA $2,856

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Indianapolis, IN versus $4,354 in San Bernardino, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $3,948
San Bernardino, CA $4,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,111 in Indianapolis, IN versus $5,853 in San Bernardino, CA.

Indianapolis, IN $5,111
San Bernardino, CA $5,853

Living in Indianapolis, IN costs roughly 2% less than in San Bernardino, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 106% above, San Bernardino, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$20.02 $20.02

1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$76.5 $76.5

5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$16.54 $16.54

-28.48%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.87 $5.87

-3.24%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$3.54 $3.54

-8.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.35 $2.35

14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 $6.35

$7.30 $7.30

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$9.38 $9.38

-16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.09 $1.09

-17.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.93 $3.93

-13.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.69 $4.69

-0.43%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$4.70 $4.70

-23.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$12.99 $12.99

-3.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 $12.77

$8.68 $8.68

47.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.96 $16.96

$15.33 $15.33

10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$4.67 $4.67

17.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.79 $1.79

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.05 $4.05

21.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$5.67 $5.67

-23.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.61 $3.61

-33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.21 $2.21

34.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.99 $1.99

21.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.86 $1.86

33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$11.74 $11.74

-12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 $15.47

$14.74 $14.74

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.12 $2.12

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.31 $4.31

-19.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.06 $2.06

-14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

-0.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$9.83 $9.83

-79.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 $33.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 $1.47

-33.33%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$36.5K $36.5K

1.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

0.19%

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

$232 $232

$216 $216

7.51%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$66.6 $66.6

-8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 $63.6

$73.4 $73.4

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.74 $39.74

$39.64 $39.64

0.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 $41.13

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$15.33 $15.33

-1.57%

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

$1,756 $1,756

$1,143 $1,143

53.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$17.4K $17.4K

41.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$62.8 $62.8

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$47.37 $47.37

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$105 $105

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,775 $1,775

-2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$1,442 $1,442

-4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,681 $2,681

$2,508 $2,508

6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 $1,985

$2,783 $2,783

-28.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 $2,787

$3,608 $3,608

-22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 $1,865

$3,635 $3,635

-48.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,595 $4,595

$3,468 $3,468

32.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.39

2.82%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.4K 49.4%

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 50.5% 4.8% $66

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$407 14.6%

San Bernardino, CA

$389 13.6% 4.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$357 12.8%

San Bernardino, CA

$356 12.5% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$337 12.1%

San Bernardino, CA

$359 12.6% 6.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$161 5.8%

San Bernardino, CA

$162 5.7% 1% $1.6

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$77 2.8%

San Bernardino, CA

$78 * 2.7% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$70 2.5%

San Bernardino, CA

$70 2.5% 0.5% $0.4

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 $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN and $1,775 in San Bernardino, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Indianapolis, IN pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Indianapolis, IN vs $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $389 per month, with San Bernardino, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

10:58 10:58 AM

3 h behind Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

220,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Indianapolis, IN San Bernardino, CA 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
San Bernardino, CA

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 San Bernardino, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in San Bernardino, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Indianapolis, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Indianapolis, IN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,775 in San Bernardino, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,785 per month in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,856 in San Bernardino, CA – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 $2,785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Indianapolis, IN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Indianapolis, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in San Bernardino, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.