Overall
- Burlington
- 93.2
- South Bend-Mishawaka
- 92.9
Diff -0.3 RPP
Burlington vs South Bend-Mishawaka
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. South Bend-Mishawaka is 0.4% less expensive than Burlington.
0.4% less expensive
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI is 0.4% less expensive than Burlington, NC on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 92.9 vs 93.2). A $100,000 salary in Burlington buys about the same as $99,637 in South Bend-Mishawaka; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 93.2 (Burlington) vs 92.9 (South Bend-Mishawaka)
- $100k in Burlington ≈ $99,637 purchasing power in South Bend-Mishawaka
- Rents drives the gap (-3.3 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair NC:IN 93.2→92.9
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · RENT-LED · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE NC × IN
- RENT-LED Rent-led gap
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Burlington
93.2
Cost Index
South Bend-Mishawaka
92.9
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Burlington, NC and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.3 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents leads the difference, with South Bend-Mishawaka 3.3 points lower than Burlington. Goods, services, and rents all point in the same broad direction, making the headline comparison more transferable across household types.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Burlington corresponds to $99,637 in South Bend-Mishawaka.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Burlington
- 96.6
- South Bend-Mishawaka
- 94.2
Diff -2.4 RPP
Services
- Burlington
- 89.2
- South Bend-Mishawaka
- 87.7
Diff -1.5 RPP
Rents
- Burlington
- 77.9
- South Bend-Mishawaka
- 74.6
Diff -3.3 RPP
| Category | Burlington | South Bend-Mishawaka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93.2 | 92.9 | -0.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.2 | -2.4 |
| Services | 89.2 | 87.7 | -1.5 |
| Rents | 77.9 | 74.6 | -3.3 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Burlington 93.2
South Bend-Mishawaka 92.9
Goods
Burlington 96.6
South Bend-Mishawaka 94.2
Services
Burlington 89.2
South Bend-Mishawaka 87.7
Rents
Burlington 77.9
South Bend-Mishawaka 74.6
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Burlington would need to be in South Bend-Mishawaka for the same purchasing power:
| In Burlington | In South Bend-Mishawaka | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,819 | $-181 |
| $75,000 | $74,728 | $-272 |
| $100,000 | $99,637 | $-363 |
| $150,000 | $149,456 | $-544 |
$ in Burlington = in South Bend-Mishawaka
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (93.2 → 92.9), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Bend-Mishawaka more expensive than Burlington?
South Bend-Mishawaka is 0.4% less expensive than Burlington. The overall cost index is 92.9 vs 93.2 (national average = 100).
What salary in South Bend-Mishawaka equals $100K in Burlington?
A $100,000 salary in Burlington has the same purchasing power as $99,637 in South Bend-Mishawaka. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Burlington and South Bend-Mishawaka?
Rents in Burlington are indexed at 77.9 while South Bend-Mishawaka is at 74.6 (national average = 100). Burlington has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.