Cost of living in Iowa
compared to
Cost of living in Iowa vs. United States overall average
Iowa is 12.5% cheaper than United States overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 9.2% less in Iowa
- Groceries
-
pay 15.5% less in Iowa
- Transportation
-
pay 19.8% less in Iowa
- Housing
-
pay 22.9% less in Iowa
- Childcare
-
pay 17.7% less in Iowa
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 1.7% less in Iowa
- Clothing
-
pay 0.9% less in Iowa
Expenses including housing, transportation, childcare, groceries, restaurants, and entertainment and sports are lower in Iowa.
Iowa Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $15.83 |
$10.94
-
$30.67
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.57 |
$8.39
-
$13.50
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.46 |
$1.84
-
$3.94
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $1.82 |
$1.36
-
$3.89
|
Iowa - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.77 |
$1.56
-
$6.32
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $5.89 |
$4.35
-
$9.60
|
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.33 |
$2.58
-
$5.21
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.30 |
$1.92
-
$7.13
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $4.57 |
$2.80
-
$8.77
|
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.96 |
$1.18
-
$4.39
|
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.65 |
$0.42
-
$1.40
|
| Oranges (1 lb) | $1.93 |
$1.01
-
$4.76
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $1.93 |
$0.96
-
$3.18
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.99 |
$0.60
-
$2.31
|
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.30 |
$0.76
-
$2.66
|
Iowa - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.02 |
$2.69
-
$3.53
|
| Monthly public transit pass | $38.07 |
$38.33
-
$43.00
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $28,093.10 |
$25,764.30
-
$35,367.12
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $15.46 |
$15.18
-
$23.83
|
Iowa - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$65.62 |
$47.78
-
$114.56
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,069.66 |
$862.50
-
$1,490.62
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $852.78 |
$700.00
-
$1,060.00
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$133.13 |
$91.06
-
$269.91
|
Iowa - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,152.45 |
$957.53
-
$1,712.51
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $18,898.50 |
$18,263.50
-
$22,856.12
|
Iowa - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $4.44 |
$3.50
-
$7.83
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.43 |
$3.86
-
$7.78
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$8.55 |
$7.66
-
$11.34
|
| Monthly membership at local gym | $63.76 |
$31.83
-
$92.50
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $13.58 |
$10.00
-
$18.09
|
Iowa - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$55.34 |
$30.89
-
$89.11
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$41.65 |
$25.33
-
$64.67
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$81.56 |
$55.44
-
$135.89
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $106.86 |
$63.22
-
$194.44
|
Iowa - Cost of clothing
These numbers reflect the average prices of 23 cities in the state of Iowa, such as
Muscatine,
Oelwein,
Emmetsburg,
Ames,
Sioux City,
and more. To view the cost of living in a specific city in Iowa, search for a city above.
For a detailed breakdown of Santa Cruz vs. the national average, see the cost of living in United States compared to Iowa.
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