Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Aberdeen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,264 in Aberdeen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aberdeen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Aberdeen
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Aberdeen Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Aberdeen

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Aberdeen

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

A single person spends $2,142 per month in Ames, IA vs $2,264 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Ames, IA $2,142
Aberdeen $2,264

A couple spends around $3,242 per month in Ames, IA vs $3,528 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Ames, IA $3,242
Aberdeen $3,528

A family of three spends $4,342 per month in Ames, IA vs $4,792 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Ames, IA $4,342
Aberdeen $4,792

Ames, IA is about 5% cheaper than Aberdeen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ames, IA and Aberdeen sit above the global median – Ames, IA by 59%, Aberdeen by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$19.95 £14.96

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$94.0 £70.5

-44.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.71 £8.04

13.73%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.59 £3.44

6.10%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.71 £2.03

-4.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.12 £1.59

6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$7.15 £5.37

-43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$7.79 £5.84

-12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.49 £1.12

-40.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.71 £1.28

107.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.96 £1.47

66.33%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$4.36 £3.27

-23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.81 £6.61

14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$12.10 £9.08

12.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.59 £12.44

14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.85 £2.14

106.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.38 £1.03

31.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.80 £2.10

138.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.66 £2.75

42.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.70 £1.28

167.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.50 £1.13

171.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.25 £0.94

85.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.62 £1.22

50.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$21.97 £16.48

-40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$11.20 £8.40

43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.64 £1.98

8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.07 £2.30

62.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.70 £2.02

-63.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$120 £90.1

-70.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.88 £2.91

31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.45 £1.84

-31.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$24.17 £18.13

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.13 £1.60

-54.93%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$37.5K £28.1K

-33.96%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$40.2K £30.2K

-37.62%

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

$176 $176

$400 £300

-55.94%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$28.11 £21.09

93.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$42.10 £31.58

69.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$53.5 £40.15

28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$22.06 £16.55

-10.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$11.23 £8.43

42.21%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$1,770 £1,328

-22.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$23.2K £17.4K

55.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$96.3 £72.3

-39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$48.95 £36.73

-8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$102 £76.7

-11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$112 £84.1

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$833 £625

20.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$771 £579

6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,573 £1,180

18.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,611 £1,208

-6.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,281 £1,712

6.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$3,390 £2,544

-35.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$3,625 £2,719

-0.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

5.11

25.44%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Aberdeen

$771 34.1% 6.2% $51

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Aberdeen

$320 14.1% 26.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Aberdeen

$470 20.8% 55.9% $169

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Aberdeen

$317 14% 8.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Aberdeen

$162 7.2% 20.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Aberdeen

$76 3.4% 24.7% $25

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Aberdeen

$147 6.5% 177% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $833 in Aberdeen. 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 Aberdeen, 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 $52.0 in Ames, IA versus $94.0 in Aberdeen. Groceries tell a different story – $436 in Ames, IA vs $320 in Aberdeen – so Aberdeen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇬🇧 Aberdeen

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

6 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

229,060

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ames, IA Aberdeen 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Aberdeen

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

Ames, IA vs Aberdeen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aberdeen costs about 6% more than Ames, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,213 per month in Ames, IA and $3,396 in Aberdeen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,142 in Ames, IA and $2,264 in Aberdeen. That's a gap of about 6%.

Public transport costs about 238% less in Ames, IA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ames, IA, where all-in costs run around $2,142, than in Aberdeen at $2,264. In Ames, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aberdeen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ames, IA costs $2,142 versus $2,264 in Aberdeen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ames, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aberdeen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.