Last update: Oct 2026

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

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

140

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index
134

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

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San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,856

/mo nomad

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in San Bernardino, CA is roughly 3% more expensive than in Indianapolis, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$20.31 $20.31

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$80.8 $80.8

-5.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.54 $16.54

$11.83 $11.83

39.81%

Cappuccino

$5.87 $5.87

$5.68 $5.68

3.35%

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

$3.54 $3.54

$3.25 $3.25

8.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.68 $2.68

-12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 $7.30

$6.35 $6.35

14.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$7.87 $7.87

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.90 $0.90

21.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.39 $3.39

15.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.67 $4.67

0.43%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$3.61 $3.61

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$12.53 $12.53

3.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$12.77 $12.77

-32.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 $15.33

$16.96 $16.96

-9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$5.49 $5.49

-14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.47 $1.47

21.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.94 $4.94

-18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$4.35 $4.35

30.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.40 $2.40

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.97 $2.97

-25.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.42 $2.42

-17.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.49 $2.49

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$10.24 $10.24

14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.47 $15.47

-4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.06 $2.06

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.47 $3.47

24.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.77 $1.77

16.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

0.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.83 $9.83

$1.99 $1.99

393.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 $33.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$37.1K $37.1K

-1.74%

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)

$216 $216

$232 $232

-6.99%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$61.3 $61.3

8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$63.6 $63.6

15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.64 $39.64

$39.74 $39.74

-0.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 $41.13

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 $15.33

$15.09 $15.09

1.59%

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

$1,143 $1,143

$1,756 $1,756

-34.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$24.6K $24.6K

-29.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$57.8 $57.8

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 $47.37

$44.68 $44.68

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$110 $110

-4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 $1,775

$1,732 $1,732

2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 $1,442

$1,376 $1,376

4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,681 $2,681

-6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 $2,783

$1,985 $1,985

40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,608 $3,608

$2,787 $2,787

29.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,635 $3,635

$1,865 $1,865

94.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,468 $3,468

$4,595 $4,595

-24.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.57

-2.74%

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

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: 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

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 50.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$1.4K 49.4% 4.6% $66

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardino, CA

$389 13.6%

Indianapolis, IN

$407 14.6% 4.6% $18

Eating Out

San Bernardino, CA

$359 12.6%

Indianapolis, IN

$337 12.1% 6.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardino, CA

$356 12.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$357 12.8% 0.3% $1

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardino, CA

$162 5.7%

Indianapolis, IN

$161 5.8% 1% $1.6

Getting Around

San Bernardino, CA

$78 * 2.7%

Indianapolis, IN

$77 2.8% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardino, CA

$70 2.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$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 $1,775 in San Bernardino, CA and $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN. 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: $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA vs $81.0 in Indianapolis, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $407 per month, with San Bernardino, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

13:17 1:17 PM

3 h ahead of San Bernardino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

882,039

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

San Bernardino, CA
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

San Bernardino, CA vs Indianapolis, IN: 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.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $1,775 in San Bernardino, CA versus $1,732 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 $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 $2,856 per month in San Bernardino, CA versus $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN – 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.