Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Ames, IA $2,142
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Ames, IA $3,242
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Ames, IA $4,342
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Ames, IA costs roughly 57% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$24.65 $24.65

-26.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$122 $122

-57.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.91 $13.91

-12.44%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$6.59 $6.59

-26.10%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$3.84 $3.84

-32.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.87 $2.87

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$7.79 $7.79

-48.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.85 $9.85

-30.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.38 $1.38

-35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.68 $4.68

-24.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.54 $7.54

-56.76%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$5.93 $5.93

-43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$18.83 $18.83

-46.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$17.36 $17.36

-21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.51 $18.51

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.74 $6.74

-12.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.09 $2.09

-12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.07 $6.07

10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.74 $6.74

-22.55%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.05 $4.05

12.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.37 $4.37

-6.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.89 $2.89

-19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.60 $2.60

-6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$18.72 $18.72

-30.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$20.06 $20.06

-19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.25 $3.25

-11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.73 $3.73

33.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.06 $3.06

-67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$140 $140

-74.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.04 $3.04

67.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.15 $2.15

-21.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$41.82 $41.82

-42.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.12 $1.12

-14.29%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-30.23%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

-3.71%

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

$176 $176

$219 $219

-19.50%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$73.2 $73.2

-25.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$72.0 $72.0

-1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$123 $123

-43.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$67.7 $67.7

-70.83%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$22.85 $22.85

-30.11%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$3,333 $3,333

-58.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$60.0K $60.0K

-39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$75.2 $75.2

-22.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$52.4 $52.4

-14.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$122 $122

-25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$133 $133

-21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$4,389 $4,389

-77.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$3,130 $3,130

-73.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$8,918 $8,918

-79.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$5,354 $5,354

-71.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$19.4K $19.4K

-87.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$6,806 $6,806

-67.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$5,343 $5,343

-32.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

6.82

-6.01%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 281% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

New York, NY

$545 11% 24.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 20.7% $62

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 37.6% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 28.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 66.8% $67

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 214% $113

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $545 per month, with Ames, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ames, IA New York, NY 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 131% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 295% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $3,333 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.