Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
112

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.05 $20.05

1.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.4 $79.4

6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.94 $11.94

1.51%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.60 $5.60

0.89%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.04 $3.04

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.71 $1.71

38.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.05 $5.05

55.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.73 $5.73

53.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.89 $0.89

28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.00 $3.00

23.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.26 $3.26

1.53%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.96 $3.96

4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.84 $9.84

31.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.29 $8.29

67.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.78 $14.78

10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.46 $5.46

-14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.50 $1.50

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.91 $4.91

4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.66 $3.66

23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.17 $2.17

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.32 $3.32

-28.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.91 $1.91

-5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.54 $2.54

-12.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.83 $8.83

12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.94 $14.94

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 $1.74

67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.48 $2.48

34.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.97 $1.97

41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.26 $1.26

30.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$20.20 $20.20

75.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.2K $26.2K

30.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.66%

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

$223 $223

$160 $160

38.98%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$52.9 $52.9

10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.2 $66.2

7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$74.6 $74.6

-28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$9.82 $9.82

43.18%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,095 $1,095

33.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.9K $11.9K

79.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$47.07 $47.07

11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.51 $34.51

23.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.2 $88.2

-1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$118 $118

-12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,107 $1,107

90.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,157 $1,157

6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,968 $1,968

96.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,600 $1,600

50.45%

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)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,485 $5,485

-5.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.37

7.06%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4% 6% $73

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1% 14.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Ankeny, IA

$280 12% 20.7% $73

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6% 8.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Ankeny, IA

$94 4% 16.1% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4% 85.3% $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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. 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: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $352 per month, with Ankeny, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

67,887

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Ankeny, 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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. 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 $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA – 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.