Overall
- Muncie
- 88.1
- Huntington-Ashland
- 88.4
Diff +0.3 RPP
Muncie vs Huntington-Ashland
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Huntington-Ashland is 0.3% more expensive than Muncie.
0.3% more expensive
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH is 0.3% more expensive than Muncie, IN on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 88.4 vs 88.1). A $100,000 salary in Muncie buys about the same as $100,311 in Huntington-Ashland; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 88.1 (Muncie) vs 88.4 (Huntington-Ashland)
- $100k in Muncie ≈ $100,311 purchasing power in Huntington-Ashland
- Rents drives the gap (-6.2 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair IN:WV 88.1→88.4
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE IN × WV
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- 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.
Muncie
88.1
Cost Index
Huntington-Ashland
88.4
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Muncie, IN and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 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 creates the largest separation: Huntington-Ashland is 6.2 points lower. But rents move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
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 Muncie corresponds to $100,311 in Huntington-Ashland.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Muncie
- 94.3
- Huntington-Ashland
- 96.3
Diff +2.0 RPP
Services
- Muncie
- 86.4
- Huntington-Ashland
- 87.9
Diff +1.4 RPP
Rents
- Muncie
- 57.5
- Huntington-Ashland
- 51.3
Diff -6.2 RPP
| Category | Muncie | Huntington-Ashland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 88.1 | 88.4 | +0.3 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 96.3 | +2.0 |
| Services | 86.4 | 87.9 | +1.4 |
| Rents | 57.5 | 51.3 | -6.2 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Muncie 88.1
Huntington-Ashland 88.4
Goods
Muncie 94.3
Huntington-Ashland 96.3
Services
Muncie 86.4
Huntington-Ashland 87.9
Rents
Muncie 57.5
Huntington-Ashland 51.3
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Muncie would need to be in Huntington-Ashland for the same purchasing power:
| In Muncie | In Huntington-Ashland | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,155 | +$155 |
| $75,000 | $75,233 | +$233 |
| $100,000 | $100,311 | +$311 |
| $150,000 | $150,466 | +$466 |
$ in Muncie = in Huntington-Ashland
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (88.1 → 88.4), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Huntington-Ashland more expensive than Muncie?
Huntington-Ashland is 0.3% more expensive than Muncie. The overall cost index is 88.4 vs 88.1 (national average = 100).
What salary in Huntington-Ashland equals $100K in Muncie?
A $100,000 salary in Muncie has the same purchasing power as $100,311 in Huntington-Ashland. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Muncie and Huntington-Ashland?
Rents in Muncie are indexed at 57.5 while Huntington-Ashland is at 51.3 (national average = 100). Muncie 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.