Marion County · Indiana
Cost of living in Indianapolis, IN
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Indianapolis, IN costs 4.3% below the national average — an all-items price level of 95.7. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $95,696 here.
- All items
- 95.7US average = 100
- Housing
- 88.911.1% below the national average
- Goods
- 94.35.7% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.1in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 94.3 | -5.7% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 88.9 | -11.1% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 86.4 | -13.6% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.1 | -0.9% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Indianapolis, IN
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (95.7 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $65,829
- Needed to match US average
- $60,285
- Monthly difference
- $-226
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Indianapolis earns $62,996. Deflated by the local price level, that is $65,829 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 95.7.
More on Indianapolis
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.