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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Indianapolis skyline
Miyin2. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Louisville skyline
Charles Delano of LouisvilleUSACE - Louisville District of the US Army Corp of Engineers. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

Indianapolis vs Louisville

$12/mo more in Louisville

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

IndianapolisLouisvilleAbout 111 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Louisville leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,491/mo in Louisville. $2,479/mo in Indianapolis. +$144 a year.

Indianapolis

$2,479

left each month

Louisville

$2,491

+$12 vs Indianapolis

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Louisville wins 2 of 4Indianapolis 1 · ties 1
$5,547Take-home · Indianapolis$5,417
$1,189Rent · Louisville$1,047
$1,879Other bills$1,879
$2,479Left over · Louisville$2,491

Next

In 2022-2023, 273 households moved Indianapolis → Louisville (avg AGI $52,700). 296 went the other way. The whole move →

+$12 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthIndianapolisLouisville
Less leftMore left
Louisville · this breakdownIndianapolis · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Indianapolis, IN and Louisville, KY
Per monthIndianapolisLouisvilleDifference
Gross pay$7,417$7,339−$78
Income and payroll tax$1,870$1,921+$51
Take-home pay$5,547$5,417−$129
Rent$1,189$1,047−$142
Getting around$545$545$0
Groceries$368$368$0
Healthcare$414$414$0
Utilities$230$230$0
Everything else$322$322$0
Left over$2,479$2,491+$12

Salary to match Indianapolis

$88,000

Gross pay in Louisville that leaves the same amount as $89,000 in Indianapolis.

Tax difference

−$891

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.2% in Indianapolis, 26.2% in Louisville.

More about Louisville

Indianapolis, IN in full

Cheap housing, a 3% flat state tax, and a short commute.

Louisville, KY in full

Cheap, central, and warmer than the rest of the Midwest.

The other way

Start in Louisville.

Louisville → Indianapolis →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Louisville than Indianapolis?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Louisville leaves about $12 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,189 in Indianapolis and $1,047 in Louisville.

Does Louisville have state income tax?

Louisville is in Kentucky, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.20%.

What changes if you move from Indianapolis to Louisville?

The paycheck is taxed in Kentucky. 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 Indianapolis and Louisville 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.