Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Indianapolis, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN: $2,684 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
130

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Indianapolis, IN $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,851 in Indianapolis, IN.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Indianapolis, IN $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,019 in Indianapolis, IN.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Indianapolis, IN $5,019

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 41% more expensive than in Indianapolis, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Indianapolis, IN 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.99 $19.99

26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.7 $79.7

26.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.89 $11.89

24.14%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.65 $5.65

15.04%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.31 $3.31

-3.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.64 $2.64

18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.18 $6.18

28.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.06 $8.06

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.27 $3.27

62.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.64 $4.64

37.93%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.74 $3.74

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.44 $12.44

50.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.47 $12.47

50.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.35 $17.35

31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.58 $5.58

8.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.47 $1.47

32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.96 $4.96

11.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.22 $4.22

54.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.52 $2.52

38.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.91 $2.91

13.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.43 $2.43

15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.45 $11.45

9.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.56 $15.56

-4.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.00 $2.00

109.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.59 $3.59

61.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.76 $1.76

73.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$60.6 $60.6

74.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.05 $2.05

25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.69 $1.69

-2.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$33.96 $33.96

-11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.93 $0.93

51.61%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

19.70%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.40%

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

$308 $308

$234 $234

31.32%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$61.2 $61.2

13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$64.5 $64.5

33.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$36.87 $36.87

107.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$41.90 $41.90

-15.27%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.80 $14.80

21.76%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,736 $1,736

58.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.5K $24.5K

24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$56.5 $56.5

40.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.97 $44.97

20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$112 $112

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$143 $143

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,651 $1,651

51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,278 $1,278

51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,666 $2,666

91.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,909 $1,909

85.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,768 $2,768

166.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,751 $1,751

185.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,222 $4,222

53.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6% 34.1% $660

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1% 25.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4% 22.2% $103

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5% 17.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6% 14.9% $28

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9% 39.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5% 40.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $80 in Indianapolis, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $406 per month, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

882,039

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Indianapolis, IN 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Indianapolis, IN

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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

Seattle, WA vs Indianapolis, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Indianapolis, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Seattle, WA. 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 53% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN – a 41% 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 $2,684 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 29% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.