Moving from Bismarck to Indianapolis
Moving to Indianapolis costs you $876 a month
−$10,512 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Bismarck leftover
$3,329
a month after tax and rent
Indianapolis leftover
$2,453
−$876 vs Bismarck
| Per month | Bismarck | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,917 | $7,402 | −$514 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,700 | $1,865 | +$165 |
| Take-home pay | $6,216 | $5,537 | −$679 |
| Rent | $1,090 | $1,205 | +$115 |
| Getting around | $534 | $545 | +$11 |
| Groceries | $348 | $368 | +$20 |
| Healthcare | $392 | $414 | +$22 |
| Utilities | $218 | $230 | +$12 |
| Everything else | $305 | $322 | +$17 |
| Left over | $3,329 | $2,453 | −$876 |
To break even in Indianapolis, you'd need to earn
$105,000
Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Bismarck does now.
The tax difference alone
−$3,807
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.5% in Bismarck, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Bismarck, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,298 and 196 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
Indianapolis, IN in full
Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Indianapolis on Indianapolis wages.
Indianapolis → Bismarck →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Indianapolis than Bismarck?
A one-bedroom is about $1,090 in Bismarck versus $1,205 in Indianapolis. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $876 a month lower in Indianapolis. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Indianapolis have state income tax?
Indianapolis is in Indiana, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.02%.
What changes if you move from Bismarck to Indianapolis?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Indiana tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.