Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,970 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,970

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aachen and in Des Moines, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aachen and in Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,970 per month in Aachen vs $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Aachen $1,970
Des Moines, IA $2,171

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Aachen vs $3,236 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Aachen $2,925
Des Moines, IA $3,236

A family of three spends $3,880 per month in Aachen vs $4,301 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Aachen $3,880
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Aachen is about 9% cheaper than Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Aachen and Des Moines, IA sit above the global median – Aachen by 45%, Des Moines, IA by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.93 €14.17

$19.69 $19.69

-19.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$80.8 $80.8

-24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.11

$12.22 $12.22

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.37

$6.16 $6.16

-38.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.52

$2.93 $2.93

-3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.56 $2.56

19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 €4.59

$4.99 $4.99

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.92

$5.89 $5.89

-6.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.91 $0.91

35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 €1.69

$3.03 $3.03

-37.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 €3.21

$3.38 $3.38

6.80%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.20

$4.00 $4.00

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.69 €13.07

$9.69 $9.69

51.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €9.96

$9.91 $9.91

13.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 €18.91

$13.68 $13.68

55.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$4.33 $4.33

-22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.51 $1.51

52.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$4.54 $4.54

-52.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.93

$3.68 $3.68

-10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$3.07 $3.07

-50.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.14 $2.14

-29.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.38 $2.38

-37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$2.19 $2.19

-45.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 €8.88

$7.85 $7.85

27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.95

$14.79 $14.79

-54.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.70 $1.70

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$3.09 $3.09

-48.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 €3.48

$1.73 $1.73

126.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.7 €63.8

$58.1 $58.1

23.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

$1.97 $1.97

175.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 €2.27

$1.23 $1.23

107.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.75 €33.58

$19.70 $19.70

91.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$0.93 $0.93

148.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.1K €29.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

21.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €34.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

53.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$386 €343

$185 $185

109.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.86 €15.00

$53.6 $53.6

-68.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.23 €42.01

$70.2 $70.2

-32.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.99 €33.79

$63.8 $63.8

-40.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 €24.93

$20.14 $20.14

39.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.56 €13.84

$9.99 $9.99

55.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$732 €652

$1,187 $1,187

-38.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K €17.5K

$12.0K $12.0K

64.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €84.5

$59.5 $59.5

59.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.30 €37.63

$42.98 $42.98

-1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 €74.2

$101 $101

-17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$145 $145

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 €723

$1,177 $1,177

-30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €524

$872 $872

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,338

$1,738 $1,738

-13.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 €938

$1,394 $1,394

-24.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,479 €3,984

$2,320 $2,320

93.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,440 €3,059

$2,325 $2,325

47.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,609 €3,211

$3,647 $3,647

-1.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

6.56

-39.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aachen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aachen

$589 29.9%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 48.1% $283

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aachen

$450 22.8%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 31.5% $142

Groceries & Markets

Aachen

$330 16.7%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 5.9% $20

Eating Out

Aachen

$268 13.6%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 22.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Aachen

$159 8.1%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 1.3% $2.1

Getting Around

Aachen

$106 5.4%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 30.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Aachen

$69 3.5%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 21.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $813 in Aachen versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Des Moines, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Aachen versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $349 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Aachen

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

7 h behind Aachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,683

214,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aachen Des Moines, IA 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Aachen
Des Moines, IA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aachen vs Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,970 in Aachen, $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,955 per month in Aachen and $3,256 in Des Moines, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Aachen and $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,970 in Aachen and $2,171 in Des Moines, IA. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Aachen, where all-in costs run around $1,970, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Aachen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aachen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.