Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Montclair, NJ and in Indianapolis, IN: $2,923 and $2,785 a month, rent and utilities included.

141

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
Learn more

Montclair, NJ Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
Learn more

Indianapolis, IN Living Index

Jump to prices

Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,923

/mo nomad

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montclair, NJ and in Indianapolis, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,923 in Montclair, NJ versus $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN.

Montclair, NJ $2,923
Indianapolis, IN $2,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Montclair, NJ versus $3,948 in Indianapolis, IN.

Montclair, NJ $4,274
Indianapolis, IN $3,948

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,626 in Montclair, NJ versus $5,111 in Indianapolis, IN.

Montclair, NJ $5,626
Indianapolis, IN $5,111

Living in Montclair, NJ is roughly 5% more expensive than in Indianapolis, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montclair, NJ 117% above, Indianapolis, IN 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$20.31 $20.31

-1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$80.8 $80.8

-1.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.83 $11.83

11.41%

Cappuccino

$6.44 $6.44

$5.68 $5.68

13.38%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$3.25 $3.25

-23.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.68 $2.68

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.66 $8.66

$6.35 $6.35

36.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$7.87 $7.87

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.90 $0.90

41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.39 $3.39

31.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.67 $4.67

30.41%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$3.61 $3.61

70.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 $13.71

$12.53 $12.53

9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$12.77 $12.77

-18.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$16.96 $16.96

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.49 $5.49

6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.47 $1.47

42.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.94 $4.94

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.35 $4.35

25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.40 $2.40

28.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.97 $2.97

1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.42 $2.42

19.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.49 $2.49

5.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.73 $17.73

$10.24 $10.24

73.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$15.47 $15.47

-4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.06 $2.06

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.47 $3.47

5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.99 $1.99

46.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.75 $1.75

20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.91 $41.91

$33.33 $33.33

25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.98 $0.98

13.27%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$37.1K $37.1K

-2.62%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

-2.63%

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

$170 $170

$232 $232

-26.80%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$61.3 $61.3

-15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 $49.53

$63.6 $63.6

-22.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 $79.2

$39.74 $39.74

99.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 $41.13

Cinema Ticket

$20.46 $20.46

$15.09 $15.09

35.59%

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

$2,014 $2,014

$1,756 $1,756

14.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$24.6K $24.6K

-35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$57.8 $57.8

23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 $51.5

$44.68 $44.68

15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$110 $110

-7.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$145 $145

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,732 $1,732

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$1,376 $1,376

14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$2,681 $2,681

40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$1,985 $1,985

29.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 $2,787

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 $1,865

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,595 $4,595

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.57

3.50%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montclair, NJ

$1.6K 53.7%

Indianapolis, IN

$1.4K 49.4% 12.3% $193

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$444 15.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$407 14.6% 8.4% $37

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$349 11.9%

Indianapolis, IN

$337 12.1% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$271 9.3%

Indianapolis, IN

$357 12.8% 31.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$155 5.3%

Indianapolis, IN

$161 5.8% 3.6% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$120 4.1%

Indianapolis, IN

$70 2.5% 41.8% $50

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$13 * 0.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$77 2.8% 473% $64

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 $2,227 in Montclair, NJ and $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Montclair, NJ vs $81.0 in Indianapolis, IN. Groceries flip the comparison at $444 vs $407, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

Same time as Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

882,039

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Montclair, NJ
Indianapolis, IN

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

Montclair, NJ vs Indianapolis, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 5% 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 $4,384 in Montclair, NJ and $4,178 in Indianapolis, IN 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: $2,227 in Montclair, NJ versus $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,014 in Montclair, NJ versus $1,756 in Indianapolis, IN. 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 $81.0 versus $79.0 in Montclair, NJ. 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 $2,785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Indianapolis, IN hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Montclair, NJ and Indianapolis, IN 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 5% less than in Montclair, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.