Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Indianapolis, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN: $2,684 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
130

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Indianapolis, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN.

New York, NY $4,941
Indianapolis, IN $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,851 in Indianapolis, IN.

New York, NY $7,225
Indianapolis, IN $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $5,019 in Indianapolis, IN.

New York, NY $9,509
Indianapolis, IN $5,019

Living in New York, NY is roughly 84% more expensive than in Indianapolis, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Indianapolis, IN 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.99 $19.99

42.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.7 $79.7

48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.89 $11.89

26.49%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.65 $5.65

15.58%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.31 $3.31

19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.64 $2.64

14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.18 $6.18

32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.06 $8.06

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.86 $0.86

59.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.27 $3.27

51.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.64 $4.64

68.32%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.74 $3.74

59.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.44 $12.44

52.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$12.47 $12.47

44.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.35 $17.35

9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.58 $5.58

21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.47 $1.47

54.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.96 $4.96

37.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.22 $4.22

68.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.52 $2.52

67.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.91 $2.91

59.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.43 $2.43

18.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.54 $2.54

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.45 $11.45

63.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.56 $15.56

29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.00 $2.00

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.59 $3.59

11.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$60.6 $60.6

129.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.05 $2.05

50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.69 $1.69

25.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$33.96 $33.96

23.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.93 $0.93

25.81%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$30.7K $30.7K

12.15%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.53%

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

$219 $219

$234 $234

-6.34%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$61.2 $61.2

21.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.5 $64.5

8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$36.87 $36.87

203.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$41.90 $41.90

78.66%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.80 $14.80

49.59%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,736 $1,736

104.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

153.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$56.5 $56.5

33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.97 $44.97

13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$112 $112

10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$143 $143

-2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,651 $1,651

172.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,278 $1,278

140.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,666 $2,666

254.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,909 $1,909

171.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,768 $2,768

554.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,751 $1,751

282.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,222 $4,222

23.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.57

4.41%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6% 58.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1% 27.9% $157

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5% 24.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4% 1.1% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6% 8.4% $15

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9% 52.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5% 57.5% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $80 in Indianapolis, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $406 per month, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

882,039

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Indianapolis, IN 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Indianapolis, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in New York, NY. 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 24% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN. 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 $80 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN – Indianapolis, IN is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 at $2,684 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 46% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.