Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salina, KS and Columbus, IN

For one person, living costs are similar in Salina, KS and in Columbus, IN: $1,997 and $2,080 a month, rent and utilities included.

96

Cost of Living Index in Salina, KS
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Salina, KS Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, IN
Learn more

Columbus, IN Living Index

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Salina, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Columbus, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salina, KS and in Columbus, IN

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $2,080 in Columbus, IN, rent included.

Salina, KS $1,997
Columbus, IN $2,080

A couple spends around $2,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $3,100 in Columbus, IN, rent included.

Salina, KS $2,997
Columbus, IN $3,100

A family of three spends $3,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $4,121 in Columbus, IN, rent included.

Salina, KS $3,997
Columbus, IN $4,121

Salina, KS is about 4% cheaper than Columbus, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salina, KS and Columbus, IN sit above the global median – Salina, KS by 47%, Columbus, IN by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$15.24 $15.24

-1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 $41.89

$49.85 $49.85

-15.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 $9.28

$10.04 $10.04

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.89 $4.89

12.07%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$2.24 $2.24

-8.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.67 $1.67

3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$5.47 $5.47

-6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 $9.21

$7.65 $7.65

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.93 $0.93

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.21 $3.21

-1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.39 $3.39

84.96%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.34 $2.34

100.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 $11.78

$12.61 $12.61

-6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$11.26 $11.26

-23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.28 $9.28

57.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.52 $4.52

52.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.32 $1.32

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.40 $4.40

31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.44 $4.44

-6.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.56 $2.56

34.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.16 $3.16

21.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.99 $1.99

-9.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.47 $0.47

338.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.09 $8.09

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$15.19 $15.19

13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.07 $2.07

-11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.95 $2.95

-12.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.08 $25.08

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.67 $3.67

38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.25 $1.25

1.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 $35.35

$24.62 $24.62

43.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.87 $0.87

3.45%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-31.76%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-2.43%

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

$145 $145

$151 $151

-4.00%

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

$47.14 $47.14

$54.4 $54.4

-13.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$73.4 $73.4

-11.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$44.12 $44.12

-5.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 $34.08

$35.65 $35.65

-4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$11.84 $11.84

25.59%

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

$822 $822

$1,463 $1,463

-43.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,761 $9,761

$19.6K $19.6K

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$45.49 $45.49

5.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 $34.46

$40.10 $40.10

-14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 $76.2

$86.5 $86.5

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$107 $107

10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$1,319 $1,319

-42.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 $828

$997 $997

-17.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$1,845 $1,845

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,774 $1,774

-16.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 $1,417

$1,765 $1,765

-19.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 $1,697

$1,715 $1,715

-1.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,030 $3,030

$3,986 $3,986

-23.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.59

-3.34%

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

Last update for Salina, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Columbus, IN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salina, KS

$828 41.5%

Columbus, IN

$997 48% 20.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Salina, KS

$398 19.9%

Columbus, IN

$331 15.9% 16.8% $67

Eating Out

Salina, KS

$273 13.7%

Columbus, IN

$269 12.9% 1.4% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salina, KS

$257 12.9%

Columbus, IN

$279 13.4% 8.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Salina, KS

$125 6.2%

Columbus, IN

$126 6% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Salina, KS

$72 3.6%

Columbus, IN

$68 3.3% 5.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Salina, KS

$45 2.2%

Columbus, IN

$9.9 * 0.5% 77.7% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in Salina, KS versus $1,319 in Columbus, IN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Columbus, IN, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Salina, KS versus $50.0 in Columbus, IN. Groceries tell a different story – $398 in Salina, KS vs $331 in Columbus, IN – so Columbus, IN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salina, KS

🇺🇸 Columbus, IN

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

19:46 7:46 PM

1 h ahead of Salina, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,707

905,748

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salina, KS Columbus, IN 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salina, KS
Columbus, 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

Salina, KS vs Columbus, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, IN costs about 4% more than Salina, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,995 per month in Salina, KS and $3,120 in Columbus, IN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salina, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Salina, KS and $50.0 in Columbus, IN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Columbus, IN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Salina, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,997, than in Columbus, IN at $2,080. In Salina, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbus, IN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salina, KS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Salina, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Columbus, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.