

Cape Girardeau vs Indianapolis
$7/mo less in Indianapolis
Cape GirardeauIndianapolisAbout 260 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Indianapolis costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,474/mo in Indianapolis. $2,481/mo in Cape Girardeau. −$84 a year.
Cape Girardeau
$2,481
left each month
Indianapolis
$2,474
−$7 vs Cape Girardeau
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$7 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Cape Girardeau | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,458 | $7,410 | +$952 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,442 | $1,868 | +$425 |
| Take-home pay | $5,016 | $5,542 | +$526 |
| Rent | $721 | $1,189 | +$468 |
| Getting around | $542 | $545 | +$3 |
| Groceries | $351 | $368 | +$17 |
| Healthcare | $395 | $414 | +$19 |
| Utilities | $219 | $230 | +$11 |
| Everything else | $307 | $322 | +$15 |
| Left over | $2,481 | $2,474 | −$7 |
Salary to match Cape Girardeau
$89,000
Gross pay in Indianapolis that leaves the same amount as $77,500 in Cape Girardeau.
Tax difference
−$1,718
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.3% in Cape Girardeau, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Cape Girardeau, MO in full
State income tax topping out at 4.7%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $858 and 219 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Indianapolis, IN in full
Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.
The other way
Start in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis → Cape Girardeau →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Indianapolis than Cape Girardeau?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Indianapolis leaves about $7 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $721 in Cape Girardeau and $1,189 in Indianapolis.
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 Cape Girardeau to Indianapolis?
The paycheck is taxed in Indiana. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Cape Girardeau and Indianapolis changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.