South Bend, IN Cost Of Living

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South Bend cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	South Bend	Indiana	National
Cost of living index	82	89	100
Index	South Bend	Indiana	National
Goods & Services index	97	98	100
Groceries index	93	94	100
Health care index	101	93	100
Housing index	53	72	100
Transportation index	98	96	100
Utilities index	84	94	100

Displayed above is a general overview of the South Bend, IN cost of living index. The overall cost of living index in South Bend, IN is 82, which is 8% lower than the Indiana average and 18% lower than the national average. The cost of living index is created from the following categories: goods/services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). As you can see, goods/services and housing make up the majority of the overall cost of living index. Everyday goods and services can be a good indicator of the general cost of goods in a given city. In this case, the goods and services in South Bend, IN are 1% lower than the Indiana average and 3% lower than the national average.

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Did you know?

The cost of living in South Bend is 8% lower than the Indiana average.
The cost of living in South Bend is 18% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in South Bend is 47% lower than the national average.
Indiana general sales tax is 37% higher than the national average.
Indiana state income tax is 48% higher than the national average.

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Compare South Bend, IN Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is used in order to provide a comparison of your current salary in South Bend, IN to another city of your choice. The calculator will inform you of what your salary needs to be in any specific city in order for you to maintain your living standard based on what the city’s cost of living is. As an example, if you are seeking to move to a city that has a higher cost of living compared to South Bend, IN, you would have to earn a higher income to maintain a standard of living that is similar. To get started with the South Bend, IN salary calculator, input the new city’s name and then move the slider to indicate your current income. The salary calculator will now process the numbers and show you whether you need to earn more or less in the chosen city. A comprehensive breakdown of the cost of living will also be shown.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$48,361	$4,030	$1,128	$1,451
Renters	$22,358	$1,863	$522	$671

A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living is by simply calculating the maximum that a person should spend on housing in South Bend, IN, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The safest way to live in the city is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income that one earns on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. South Bend, IN has a median income of about $48,361 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a person should spend a maximum of $1,128 on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $22,358. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $522 on all of their rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

Indiana Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Indiana	7%	7%

Indiana Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Indiana	3.3%	3.3%

When assessing the complete cost of living in South Bend, IN, the Indiana income tax and the Indiana sales tax percentages should unquestionably be taken into consideration. Sales taxes aren't just levies imposed onto sold goods, but they also include taxes that are charged when services are provided for a fee. The rates are different from state to state and can run has high as 7 percent. Some states have no sales tax at all. The Indiana maximum surtax is 7%, and the Indiana sales tax is 7%. By contrast, income tax is an unfortunate obligation that is charged by the government against earnings. Just like sales taxes, the rates for income taxes differ from state to state. They also decrease or increase according to the individual's tax bracket. Tax rates can run as high as 9 percent, with a minimum of zero. Income tax rates range from 3.3% to 3.3% in Indiana.

Goods & Services

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$14.66	$16.09	8.8%
Beauty Salon	$31.33	$37.33	16.1%
Toothpaste	$2.01	$2.45	18.0%
Shampoo	$0.79	$1.00	21.0%
Movie	$7.62	$10.28	25.8%
Bowling	$3.00	$4.93	39.1%

Groceries

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$2.97	$3.80	22.0%
Fried Chicken	$1.28	$1.40	8.4%
Milk	$1.80	$2.01	10.5%
Potatoes	$3.19	$3.01	6.0%
Pizza	$9.82	$9.89	0.6%
Beer	$8.63	$8.90	3.0%

Health Care

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$110.67	$102.16	8.3%
Doctor	$115.00	$108.36	6.1%
Dentist	$89.94	$92.53	2.8%
Ibuprofen	$8.27	$9.28	10.9%
Lipitor	$428.46	$425.82	0.6%

Housing

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$80,500.00	$184,700.00	56.4%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,315.59	$1,202.44	9.4%
Apartment Rent	$710.00	$949.00	25.2%

Transportation

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.25	$2.24	0.5%
Tire Balancing	$43.33	$46.29	6.4%

Utilities

Item	South Bend	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$134.83	$165.96	18.8%
Phone	$25.07	$28.68	12.6%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Niles, MI	11,379	81	-19%
New Troy, MI	741	80	-20%
Roseland, IN	489	82	-18%
Edwardsburg, MI	1,269	87	-13%
Hudson Lake, IN	1,261	82	-18%
South Bend, IN	101,037	82	-18%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Jurupa Valley, CA	100,737	120	20%
Las Cruces, NM	101,459	91	-9%
Hillsboro, OR	100,462	117	17%
Erie, PA	100,157	86	-14%
Tyler, TX	101,946	91	-9%
South Bend, IN	101,037	82	-18%

Source: The South Bend, IN cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

South Bend, IN Cost of Living