Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Bismarck's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Bismarck?
Your $100,000 in Bismarck has the same purchasing power as $114,181 in the average US city. You'd need $14,181 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Bismarck's cost index of 88, sorted by closest match.
Bismarck, North Dakota has a cost-of-living index of 88, which is 12% below the national average. The typical renter pays $969 per month. The median household earns $76,014 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $61,306 per year in Bismarck. Single renters typically want at least three times the $11,628 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Bismarck is cheaper than most US cities. Overall prices are 12% below the national average.