Moving from Chicago, IL to Indianapolis, IN
Chicago to Indianapolis is a move of about 204 miles. Median rent is $1,191 a month in Indianapolis and $1,430 in Chicago, and the median home is $265,900 against $323,000. State income tax is a flat 2.95% in Indianapolis and a flat 4.95% in Chicago. Property tax runs 0.81% of home value in Indianapolis and 1.98% in Chicago.
Moving to Indianapolis costs about
$540/mo
less than Chicago each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
The move pays for itself in about 4 months
Moving costs somewhere around $1,646, and Indianapolis runs about $540 a month cheaper. After roughly 4 months you are ahead.
Chicago vs Indianapolis at a glance
| Chicago | Indianapolis | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $323,000 | $265,900 |
| Median rent | $1,430/mo | $1,191/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 4.95% | Flat 2.95% |
| Property tax rate | 1.98% | 0.81% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 107 | 94 |
| Utilities | 84 | 86 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Chicago vs Indianapolis
| Monthly | Chicago | Indianapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,430 | $1,191 | -$239 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $318 | $194 | -$124 |
| Local income tax (state average) | None | $41 | +$41 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $96 | $102 | +$6 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,966 | $1,729 | -$237 |
| Utilities | $341 | $353 | +$12 |
| Total | -$541 | ||
Cost to move from Chicago to Indianapolis
$1,300 to $3,300
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $350 to $600, against roughly $50 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 1-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Illinois and Indiana. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Indianapolis, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.