Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,340 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

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

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankeny, 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 Ankeny, IA and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Ankeny, IA $2,340
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,308 in Ankeny, IA versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Ankeny, IA $3,308
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,275 in Ankeny, IA versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Ankeny, IA $4,275
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Ankeny, IA costs roughly 53% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ankeny, IA 72% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$28.55 $28.55

-29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$118 $118

-32.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$15.04 $15.04

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.53 $6.53

-14.24%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.96 $3.96

-23.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.01 $3.01

-43.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$8.16 $8.16

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 $5.73

$9.84 $9.84

-41.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.37 $1.37

-35.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.97 $4.97

-39.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.81 $7.81

-58.26%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$5.97 $5.97

-33.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$18.91 $18.91

-47.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$18.04 $18.04

-54.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$19.05 $19.05

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$6.76 $6.76

-19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.27 $2.27

-33.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$6.83 $6.83

-28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$7.09 $7.09

-48.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.22 $4.22

-48.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.65 $4.65

-28.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.87 $2.87

-33.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.60 $2.60

-2.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.83 $8.83

$18.77 $18.77

-52.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$20.13 $20.13

-25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.45 $3.45

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$4.02 $4.02

-38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.08 $3.08

-36.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.12 $2.12

-40.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 $20.20

$41.96 $41.96

-51.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.17 $1.17

-14.53%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-23.87%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.08%

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

$160 $160

$219 $219

-26.87%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$74.2 $74.2

-28.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$70.2 $70.2

-5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 $74.6

$112 $112

-33.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$22.14 $22.14

-55.65%

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

$1,095 $1,095

$3,558 $3,558

-69.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$62.2K $62.2K

-80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.07 $47.07

$75.6 $75.6

-37.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 $34.51

$51.2 $51.2

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$123 $123

-28.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$140 $140

-15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$4,499 $4,499

-75.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$3,078 $3,078

-62.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$9,447 $9,447

-79.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$5,190 $5,190

-69.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,485 $5,485

$5,220 $5,220

5.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.86

-7.14%

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

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 166% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 59.9% $211

Eating Out

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 37.9% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankeny, IA

$280 12%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 30.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 35.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ankeny, IA

$94 4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 65.8% $62

Getting Around

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 1884% $156

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 $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 5% 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 $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $563 per month, with Ankeny, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

19:08 7:08 PM

1 h ahead of Ankeny, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,887

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Ankeny, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,340 in Ankeny, IA and $4,941 in New York, NY, so Ankeny, IA is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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 $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in New York, NY. 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 $4,941 in New York, NY – Ankeny, IA is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Ankeny, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.