South Bend, IN vs Columbus, 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 Columbus, IN and South Bend, IN are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in South Bend works out to about $75,100 in Columbus, before taxes.
- Housing is 1.2% higher in Columbus, goods 0.1% higher and other services 0.1% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,380 a month in Columbus and $1,258 in South Bend, $1,464 a year more in Columbus (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $274,000 in Columbus and $238,000 in South Bend.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Columbus was 1.9% more expensive than South Bend.
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 South Bend and Columbus
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 93.0 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 94.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 74.6 | 75.5 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 86.6 |
| Other services | 99.2 | 99.1 |
| Category | South Bend | Columbus | Columbus vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 93.0 | +0.2% |
| Goods | 94.2 | 94.3 | +0.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 74.6 | 75.5 | +1.2% |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 86.6 | −1.3% |
| Other services | 99.2 | 99.1 | −0.1% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,258 | $1,380 | +9.7% |
| Typical home value | $238,000 | $274,000 | +15.3% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in South Bend | $75,000 | $75,100 | +0.2% |
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 South Bend and Columbus has narrowed since 2008: 8.4 points then, 0.1 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.4 | 84.0 |
| 2009 | 93.3 | 86.1 |
| 2010 | 92.9 | 90.5 |
| 2011 | 92.2 | 89.0 |
| 2012 | 90.4 | 90.4 |
| 2013 | 92.3 | 88.7 |
| 2014 | 92.0 | 90.3 |
| 2015 | 90.5 | 87.6 |
| 2016 | 91.4 | 87.9 |
| 2017 | 88.6 | 87.3 |
| 2018 | 91.9 | 94.0 |
| 2019 | 92.1 | 93.8 |
| 2020 | 91.5 | 91.4 |
| 2021 | 91.7 | 91.8 |
| 2022 | 92.3 | 90.3 |
| 2023 | 91.4 | 90.2 |
| 2024 | 92.9 | 93.0 |
Goods
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.6 | 77.2 |
| 2009 | 95.7 | 84.6 |
| 2010 | 96.1 | 93.1 |
| 2011 | 96.0 | 93.4 |
| 2012 | 97.2 | 95.2 |
| 2013 | 97.0 | 94.7 |
| 2014 | 98.1 | 95.9 |
| 2015 | 97.6 | 96.1 |
| 2016 | 96.8 | 94.6 |
| 2017 | 95.2 | 94.0 |
| 2018 | 97.4 | 97.4 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.7 |
| 2020 | 94.0 | 94.0 |
| 2021 | 94.7 | 94.7 |
| 2022 | 92.9 | 93.1 |
| 2023 | 94.7 | 94.8 |
| 2024 | 94.2 | 94.3 |
Housing (rents)
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 75.0 | 77.4 |
| 2009 | 75.8 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 76.0 | 79.5 |
| 2011 | 78.3 | 74.8 |
| 2012 | 66.2 | 73.7 |
| 2013 | 74.6 | 70.5 |
| 2014 | 71.6 | 75.4 |
| 2015 | 70.5 | 69.0 |
| 2016 | 72.9 | 75.2 |
| 2017 | 64.5 | 73.7 |
| 2018 | 70.5 | 83.4 |
| 2019 | 70.4 | 75.8 |
| 2020 | 73.2 | 70.5 |
| 2021 | 69.6 | 70.2 |
| 2022 | 76.6 | 66.4 |
| 2023 | 71.5 | 63.1 |
| 2024 | 74.6 | 75.5 |
Utilities
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 89.4 | 78.3 |
| 2009 | 92.3 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 86.4 | 81.2 |
| 2011 | 90.3 | 77.3 |
| 2012 | 90.2 | 79.1 |
| 2013 | 89.7 | 81.8 |
| 2014 | 85.6 | 82.8 |
| 2015 | 85.9 | 83.3 |
| 2016 | 84.1 | 85.0 |
| 2017 | 88.9 | 86.3 |
| 2018 | 92.7 | 92.4 |
| 2019 | 90.7 | 90.8 |
| 2020 | 92.3 | 92.1 |
| 2021 | 93.1 | 92.7 |
| 2022 | 88.2 | 88.9 |
| 2023 | 86.1 | 86.3 |
| 2024 | 87.7 | 86.6 |
Other services
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, IN
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.7 | 93.6 |
| 2009 | 98.5 | 94.2 |
| 2010 | 97.9 | 93.9 |
| 2011 | 95.1 | 91.4 |
| 2012 | 95.8 | 93.8 |
| 2013 | 96.6 | 92.5 |
| 2014 | 95.8 | 92.5 |
| 2015 | 94.0 | 88.9 |
| 2016 | 94.9 | 88.0 |
| 2017 | 93.9 | 87.5 |
| 2018 | 96.1 | 96.1 |
| 2019 | 98.4 | 98.4 |
| 2020 | 97.6 | 97.5 |
| 2021 | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| 2022 | 97.6 | 97.5 |
| 2023 | 97.4 | 97.3 |
| 2024 | 99.2 | 99.1 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,380 in Columbus vs $1,258 in South Bend
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, 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
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $635 | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $645 | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $633 | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $638 | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $655 | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $656 | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $660 | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $657 | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $672 | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $685 | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $698 | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $708 | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $707 | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $730 | $914 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $733 | $911 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $739 | $927 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $732 | $932 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $767 | $944 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $770 | $962 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $756 | $936 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $772 | $949 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $801 | $944 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $825 | $977 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $834 | $995 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $878 | $963 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $916 | $995 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $947 | $1,070 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $972 | $1,081 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $982 | $1,097 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,032 | $1,150 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,051 | $1,147 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,058 | $1,160 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,068 | $1,165 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,112 | $1,186 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,137 | $1,201 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,115 | $1,208 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,127 | $1,234 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,142 | $1,262 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,168 | $1,269 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,186 | $1,289 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,189 | $1,297 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,204 | $1,326 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,236 | $1,346 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,232 | $1,340 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,240 | $1,324 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,269 | $1,372 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,258 | $1,380 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $274,000 in Columbus vs $238,000 in South Bend
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- South Bend, IN
- Columbus, 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
| South Bend, IN | Columbus, IN | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $103K | $140K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $105K | $141K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $106K | $144K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $108K | $146K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $110K | $147K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $112K | $149K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $114K | $149K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $117K | $150K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $117K | $150K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $119K | $152K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $121K | $155K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $124K | $156K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $127K | $158K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $129K | $160K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $130K | $163K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $133K | $165K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $136K | $169K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $138K | $172K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $139K | $174K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $142K | $178K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $145K | $181K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $148K | $184K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $150K | $186K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $156K | $192K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $163K | $197K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $171K | $206K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $174K | $212K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $176K | $217K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $186K | $225K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $194K | $233K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $195K | $234K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $195K | $235K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $196K | $238K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $202K | $244K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $206K | $248K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $207K | $250K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $210K | $254K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $215K | $258K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $216K | $259K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $218K | $261K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $221K | $264K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $222K | $265K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $224K | $267K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $226K | $270K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $231K | $273K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $235K | $273K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $238K | $274K | $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.