City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bloomington | South Bend | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,112/mo | $935/mo | 18.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $267,900 | $113,800 | 135.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $46,543 | $49,056 | 5.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.9 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.1 | 88.9 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 98.5 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 99.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bloomington, you'd need $94,610 in South Bend to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
South Bend, IN is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Bloomington, IN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in South Bend than in Bloomington. If you earn $80,000 in Bloomington, you'd need about $75,688 in South Bend to keep the same standard of living.