Overall
- Muncie
- 88.1
- Terre Haute
- 87.8
Diff -0.4 RPP
Muncie vs Terre Haute
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Terre Haute is 0.4% less expensive than Muncie.
0.4% less expensive
Terre Haute, IN is 0.4% less expensive than Muncie, IN on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 87.8 vs 88.1). A $100,000 salary in Muncie buys about the same as $99,602 in Terre Haute; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 88.1 (Muncie) vs 87.8 (Terre Haute)
- $100k in Muncie ≈ $99,602 purchasing power in Terre Haute
- Rents drives the gap (-5.6 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair IN:IN 88.1→87.8
PHOTO-FINISH · SAME-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- SAME-STATE Same state · IN
- 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
Terre Haute
87.8
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Muncie, IN and Terre Haute, IN are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.4 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Terre Haute is 5.6 points lower. But services and goods 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 $99,602 in Terre Haute.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Muncie
- 94.3
- Terre Haute
- 94.3
Diff 0.0 RPP
Services
- Muncie
- 86.4
- Terre Haute
- 86.6
Diff +0.1 RPP
Rents
- Muncie
- 57.5
- Terre Haute
- 51.9
Diff -5.6 RPP
| Category | Muncie | Terre Haute | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 88.1 | 87.8 | -0.4 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 94.3 | 0.0 |
| Services | 86.4 | 86.6 | +0.1 |
| Rents | 57.5 | 51.9 | -5.6 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Muncie 88.1
Terre Haute 87.8
Goods
Muncie 94.3
Terre Haute 94.3
Services
Muncie 86.4
Terre Haute 86.6
Rents
Muncie 57.5
Terre Haute 51.9
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Muncie would need to be in Terre Haute for the same purchasing power:
| In Muncie | In Terre Haute | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,801 | $-199 |
| $75,000 | $74,701 | $-299 |
| $100,000 | $99,602 | $-398 |
| $150,000 | $149,403 | $-597 |
$ in Muncie = in Terre Haute
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (88.1 → 87.8), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Terre Haute more expensive than Muncie?
Terre Haute is 0.4% less expensive than Muncie. The overall cost index is 87.8 vs 88.1 (national average = 100).
What salary in Terre Haute equals $100K in Muncie?
A $100,000 salary in Muncie has the same purchasing power as $99,602 in Terre Haute. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Muncie and Terre Haute?
Rents in Muncie are indexed at 57.5 while Terre Haute is at 51.9 (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.