City Comparison
Chicago vs Indianapolis
Take-home pay, tax burden, and cost of living side-by-side. 2026 tax brackets.
Illinois
Chicago
- Net on $110,000
- $80,326
- Effective rate
- 27.0%
- COL index
- 107
- Buying power
- $75,071
Indiana
Indianapolis
- Net on $110,000
- $80,194
- Effective rate
- 27.1%
- COL index
- 87
- Buying power
- $92,177
On a $110,000 salary, the raw take-home gap is $132, but once you adjust for cost of living the effective buying-power gap is $17,106. To match Chicago's lifestyle at $110,000, you'd need to earn roughly $89,586 in Indianapolis.
Comparison at different salary levels
Single filer, biweekly pay, standard deduction. Local tax applied where relevant.
| Gross salary | Chicago net | Indianapolis net | Equivalent in Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $47,279 | $47,207 | $48,859 |
| $85,000 | $63,976 | $63,874 | $69,223 |
| $110,000 | $80,326 | $80,194 | $89,586 |
| $150,000 | $105,853 | $105,673 | $122,170 |
"Equivalent in Indianapolis" = the gross salary you'd need to earn in Indianapolis to match the after-tax, after-COL buying power of the left-column salary in Chicago.
See individual city breakdowns
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to live in Chicago or Indianapolis? ▾
Indianapolis is significantly cheaper — COL index of 87 vs 107 (US average = 100). That gap comes mostly from housing; groceries and utilities usually differ by less than the headline COL number suggests.
If I earn $110,000 in Chicago, what do I need in Indianapolis to match? ▾
To match the same after-tax buying power you'd get from $110,000 in Chicago, you'd need to earn about $89,586 gross in Indianapolis. That accounts for both the tax difference and the cost-of-living gap.
Which city has lower taxes on a $110,000 salary? ▾
At $110,000, Chicago has an effective total tax rate of 27.0% vs 27.1% in Indianapolis. That works out to a tax difference of about $132 per year.
Does the 'cheaper' city actually leave you better off? ▾
Not always. Raw net pay matters, but so does what that money buys. When we adjust for cost of living, Indianapolis leaves you with about $92,177 of equivalent buying power at $110,000 — compared to $75,071 in the other.