SalaryCompareTool

Boston, MA vs South Bend, IN

Moving from Boston to South Bend? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($741,868 → $238,866 median home) and taxes.

Boston vs South Bend at a glance

Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.

Boston, MA South Bend, IN Cost-of-living index Boston, MA — Cost-of-living index: 110 110 South Bend, IN — Cost-of-living index: 91 91 Median home price Boston, MA — Median home price: $742k $742k South Bend, IN — Median home price: $239k $239k Price per sqft Boston, MA — Price per sqft: $436 $436 South Bend, IN — Price per sqft: $126 $126 Median rent Boston, MA — Median rent: $3,211 $3,211 South Bend, IN — Median rent: $1,340 $1,340 Combined sales tax Boston, MA — Combined sales tax: 6.3% 6.3% South Bend, IN — Combined sales tax: 7.0% 7.0% Property tax rate Boston, MA — Property tax rate: 1.14% 1.14% South Bend, IN — Property tax rate: 0.90% 0.90% Violent crime /100k Boston, MA — Violent crime /100k: 330 330 South Bend, IN — Violent crime /100k: 360 360 Electricity ¢/kWh Boston, MA — Electricity ¢/kWh: 29.4 29.4 South Bend, IN — Electricity ¢/kWh: 17.9 17.9 Avg commute (min) Boston, MA — Avg commute (min): 31 31 South Bend, IN — Avg commute (min): 22 22 Avg summer high °F Boston, MA — Avg summer high °F: 82° 82° South Bend, IN — Avg summer high °F: 86° 86° Avg winter low °F Boston, MA — Avg winter low °F: 22° 22° South Bend, IN — Avg winter low °F: 20° 20°

To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Boston, MA, you'd need about $82,775 in South Bend, IN (−$17,225).

Livability — Boston, MA: 48 · South Bend, IN: 71 (0–100).

What your home budget buys

A $500,000 home budget gets you about 1,146 sqft in Boston vs 3,978 sqft in South Bend ($436 vs $126 per sqft).

Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)

CategoryBoston, MASouth Bend, INDifference
Housing $38,532 $16,080 −$22,452
Groceries $5,040 $4,734 −$306
Transportation $3,210 $3,250 +$40
Utilities $3,180 $1,932 −$1,248
Insurance $1,800 $1,600 −$200
Taxes $17,694 $7,022 −$10,671
Total $69,455 $34,618 −$34,838

Side by side

MetricBoston, MASouth Bend, IN
Cost-of-living index110.491.4
Unemployment rate5.02%4.85%
Population growth (5-yr)2.9%1.2%
Air quality (median AQI)4345
Big Mac price (est.)$6.28$5.20
Median home price$741,868$238,866
Home price ÷ income6.9×3.8×
1-yr home appreciation1.6%5.7%
Price per square foot$436$126
Median rent$3,211$1,340
Total tax burden (% income)11.5%9.3%
Combined sales tax6.25%7.00%
Capital gains tax9.00%3.05%
Property tax rate1.14%0.90%
Healthcare (annual)$8,200$6,600
Childcare (annual, infant)$21,000$12,000
Vehicle property tax2.25%1.20%
Avg commute (min)3122
Home insurance / yr$1,800$1,600
Auto insurance / yr$1,500$1,400
Flood insurance / yr$800$600
Earthquake insurance / yr$100$100
Electricity ¢/kWh29.417.9
Gas $/gal3.303.30
Violent crime /100k330360
Avg summer high °F8286
Avg winter low °F2220
Permit difficulty (1–5)42
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