Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankeny, IA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,340 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankeny, IA and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Ankeny, IA $2,340
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,308 in Ankeny, IA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Ankeny, IA $3,308
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,275 in Ankeny, IA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Ankeny, IA $4,275
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Ankeny, IA costs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ankeny, IA 72% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$20.35 $20.35

-1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$84.7 $84.7

-6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$12.12 $12.12

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.65 $5.65

-0.88%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.68 $3.68

-17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.36 $2.36

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$7.87 $7.87

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 $5.73

$8.82 $8.82

-35.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.14 $1.14

-21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.69 $3.69

-18.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.31 $3.31

-1.51%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.15 $4.15

-4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.98 $12.98

-24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$13.86 $13.86

-40.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$16.34 $16.34

-9.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.69 $4.69

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.45 $1.45

3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.11 $5.11

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.52 $4.52

-19.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.08 $3.08

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.38 $2.38

39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.80 $1.80

6.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.22 $2.22

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.83 $8.83

$9.97 $9.97

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.05 $15.05

-0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.91 $2.91

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.33 $3.33

-25.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.78 $2.78

-29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.65 $1.65

-23.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 $20.20

$35.39 $35.39

-42.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-23.25%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.45%

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

$160 $160

$223 $223

-28.04%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$58.5 $58.5

-9.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$71.2 $71.2

-6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 $74.6

$53.0 $53.0

40.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$14.06 $14.06

-30.16%

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

$1,095 $1,095

$1,459 $1,459

-24.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

-44.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.07 $47.07

$52.5 $52.5

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 $34.51

$42.75 $42.75

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$86.4 $86.4

2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$104 $104

13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$2,112 $2,112

-47.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$1,230 $1,230

-5.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$3,863 $3,863

-49.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$2,407 $2,407

-33.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,485 $5,485

$5,179 $5,179

5.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.82

-6.60%

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

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 6.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 16.4% $58

Eating Out

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 9.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankeny, IA

$280 12%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 26.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ankeny, IA

$94 4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 13.9% $13

Getting Around

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 582% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Ankeny, IA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Ankeny, IA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $410 per month, with Ankeny, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

Same time as Ankeny, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,887

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ankeny, IA Austin, TX 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ankeny, IA
Austin, TX

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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

Ankeny, IA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,340 in Ankeny, IA and $2,607 in Austin, TX, so Ankeny, IA is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Ankeny, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,107 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,340 per month in Ankeny, IA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Ankeny, IA is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Ankeny, IA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.