

Grand Forks vs Indianapolis
$371/mo less in Indianapolis
Grand ForksIndianapolisAbout 770 miles apart, a flight.
- Indianapolis costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,475/mo in Indianapolis. $2,846/mo in Grand Forks. −$4,452 a year.
Grand Forks
$2,846
left each month
Indianapolis
$2,475
−$371 vs Grand Forks
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$371 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Grand Forks | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,958 | $7,411 | +$452 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,398 | $1,868 | +$470 |
| Take-home pay | $5,561 | $5,543 | −$18 |
| Rent | $924 | $1,189 | +$265 |
| Getting around | $525 | $545 | +$20 |
| Groceries | $349 | $368 | +$19 |
| Healthcare | $393 | $414 | +$21 |
| Utilities | $218 | $230 | +$12 |
| Everything else | $306 | $322 | +$16 |
| Left over | $2,846 | $2,475 | −$371 |
Salary to match Grand Forks
$95,500
Gross pay in Indianapolis that leaves the same amount as $83,500 in Grand Forks.
Tax difference
−$4,036
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.1% in Grand Forks, 25.2% in Indianapolis.
More about Indianapolis
Grand Forks, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,100 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
Indianapolis, IN in full
Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.
The other way
Start in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis → Grand Forks →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Indianapolis than Grand Forks?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Indianapolis leaves about $371 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $924 in Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks 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.