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 | Gary | South Bend | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $929/mo | $935/mo | 0.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $81,800 | $113,800 | 28.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $36,874 | $49,056 | 24.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 94.8 | 9.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.0 | 88.9 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.4 | 98.5 | 0.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 99.2 | 0.9% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Gary, you'd need $87,360 in South Bend to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
South Bend, IN is about 12.6% cheaper overall than Gary, IN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in South Bend than in Gary. If you earn $80,000 in Gary, you'd need about $69,888 in South Bend to keep the same standard of living.