Decatur, IL vs Muncie, IN: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Muncie, IN and Decatur, IL are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Decatur works out to about $74,800 in Muncie, before taxes.
- Housing is 2.3% higher in Muncie, goods 0.7% higher and other services 0.5% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,043 a month in Muncie and $1,059 in Decatur, nearly the same (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $169,000 in Muncie and $125,000 in Decatur.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.2%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Decatur and Muncie
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.4 | 88.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 56.2 | 57.5 |
| Utilities | 91.1 | 86.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.1 |
| Category | Decatur | Muncie | Muncie vs Decatur |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.4 | 88.1 | −0.3% |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.3 | +0.7% |
| Housing (rents) | 56.2 | 57.5 | +2.3% |
| Utilities | 91.1 | 86.4 | −5.1% |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.1 | −0.5% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,059 | $1,043 | −1.5% |
| Typical home value | $125,000 | $169,000 | +35.4% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Decatur | $75,000 | $74,800 | −0.3% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Decatur and Muncie has narrowed since 2008: 2.8 points then, 0.3 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 91.0 | 93.8 |
| 2009 | 91.8 | 91.4 |
| 2010 | 89.4 | 91.6 |
| 2011 | 91.5 | 91.2 |
| 2012 | 93.0 | 90.5 |
| 2013 | 89.7 | 92.1 |
| 2014 | 90.3 | 89.9 |
| 2015 | 88.8 | 88.3 |
| 2016 | 88.9 | 88.6 |
| 2017 | 86.0 | 89.0 |
| 2018 | 89.9 | 91.0 |
| 2019 | 89.5 | 88.5 |
| 2020 | 88.3 | 87.2 |
| 2021 | 89.5 | 89.0 |
| 2022 | 87.3 | 88.2 |
| 2023 | 86.7 | 88.7 |
| 2024 | 88.4 | 88.1 |
Goods
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.8 | 98.6 |
| 2009 | 97.5 | 97.7 |
| 2010 | 96.4 | 96.6 |
| 2011 | 95.8 | 96.3 |
| 2012 | 96.9 | 97.5 |
| 2013 | 96.7 | 97.4 |
| 2014 | 98.5 | 98.6 |
| 2015 | 98.0 | 97.9 |
| 2016 | 97.3 | 97.3 |
| 2017 | 95.4 | 95.5 |
| 2018 | 97.6 | 97.4 |
| 2019 | 96.5 | 95.7 |
| 2020 | 94.1 | 94.0 |
| 2021 | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| 2022 | 90.8 | 93.1 |
| 2023 | 93.1 | 94.8 |
| 2024 | 93.6 | 94.3 |
Housing (rents)
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 55.7 | 76.5 |
| 2009 | 63.1 | 66.7 |
| 2010 | 57.8 | 69.9 |
| 2011 | 68.8 | 74.0 |
| 2012 | 75.5 | 67.8 |
| 2013 | 60.1 | 73.2 |
| 2014 | 60.5 | 63.6 |
| 2015 | 58.0 | 62.2 |
| 2016 | 60.8 | 58.3 |
| 2017 | 54.4 | 63.0 |
| 2018 | 61.2 | 69.9 |
| 2019 | 58.4 | 57.6 |
| 2020 | 59.7 | 58.6 |
| 2021 | 60.6 | 60.4 |
| 2022 | 56.6 | 57.3 |
| 2023 | 55.0 | 61.1 |
| 2024 | 56.2 | 57.5 |
Utilities
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.7 | 89.9 |
| 2009 | 93.8 | 93.1 |
| 2010 | 94.7 | 83.8 |
| 2011 | 94.8 | 89.6 |
| 2012 | 91.3 | 89.1 |
| 2013 | 86.8 | 89.3 |
| 2014 | 88.3 | 83.6 |
| 2015 | 87.2 | 83.9 |
| 2016 | 85.8 | 81.1 |
| 2017 | 92.1 | 87.9 |
| 2018 | 94.5 | 92.6 |
| 2019 | 91.3 | 89.7 |
| 2020 | 91.5 | 91.3 |
| 2021 | 93.0 | 92.5 |
| 2022 | 96.0 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | 89.5 | 85.5 |
| 2024 | 91.1 | 86.4 |
Other services
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| 2009 | 99.5 | 99.2 |
| 2010 | 98.9 | 98.5 |
| 2011 | 96.6 | 95.6 |
| 2012 | 97.0 | 96.1 |
| 2013 | 97.7 | 97.2 |
| 2014 | 96.9 | 96.2 |
| 2015 | 95.2 | 94.6 |
| 2016 | 96.2 | 96.0 |
| 2017 | 94.9 | 94.8 |
| 2018 | 96.5 | 96.1 |
| 2019 | 98.5 | 98.4 |
| 2020 | 97.8 | 97.5 |
| 2021 | 98.0 | 97.8 |
| 2022 | 98.2 | 97.5 |
| 2023 | 98.1 | 97.3 |
| 2024 | 99.6 | 99.1 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,043 in Muncie vs $1,059 in Decatur
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | $580 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | $600 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | $612 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | $599 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | $609 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | $627 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | $648 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | $647 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | $663 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | $649 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | $666 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | $655 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | $675 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | $700 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | $708 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | $723 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | $744 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | $772 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | $801 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | – | $798 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | – | $837 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | – | $835 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | – | $839 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $823 | $868 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $851 | $860 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $865 | $889 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $888 | $884 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $888 | $906 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $948 | $924 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $914 | $940 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $978 | $951 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $962 | $954 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,005 | $990 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,007 | $988 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,038 | $995 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,020 | $1,005 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,021 | $1,052 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,059 | $1,043 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $169,000 in Muncie vs $125,000 in Decatur
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Decatur, IL
- Muncie, IN
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Decatur, IL | Muncie, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $80K | $76K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $80K | $77K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $82K | $77K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $83K | $77K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $82K | $78K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $82K | $79K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $81K | $80K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $81K | $82K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $80K | $83K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $80K | $84K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $80K | $85K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $79K | $86K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $79K | $88K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $79K | $89K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $81K | $91K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $82K | $92K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $85K | $92K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $86K | $93K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $85K | $94K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $86K | $95K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $86K | $97K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $86K | $99K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $88K | $102K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $91K | $108K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $94K | $113K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $96K | $118K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $96K | $122K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $97K | $124K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $99K | $130K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $101K | $134K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $99K | $136K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $98K | $137K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $100K | $138K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $104K | $143K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $106K | $145K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $108K | $144K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $110K | $148K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $113K | $152K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $113K | $153K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $114K | $156K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $116K | $161K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $118K | $161K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $120K | $162K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $122K | $162K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $126K | $166K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $126K | $168K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $125K | $169K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.