Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Cincinnati, OH and in Iowa City, IA: $2,284 and $2,251 a month, rent and utilities included.

109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Iowa City, IA

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

A single person spends $2,284 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,284
Iowa City, IA $2,251

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,264 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,409
Iowa City, IA $3,264

A family of three spends $4,534 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,276 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,534
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Cincinnati, OH and Iowa City, IA have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Iowa City, IA sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 68%, Iowa City, IA by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$15.12 $15.12

-0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$67.3 $67.3

-25.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$9.03 $9.03

11.07%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$5.54 $5.54

-8.48%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.77 $2.77

-16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.23 $2.23

-25.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$4.86 $4.86

15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 $7.60

$7.13 $7.13

6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.92 $0.92

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.79 $2.79

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.02 $2.02

104.95%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.71 $3.71

10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$9.43 $9.43

38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$10.64 $10.64

4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$19.95 $19.95

-18.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.37 $3.37

69.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.22 $1.22

35.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.65 $2.65

64.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.87 $4.87

-2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.98 $1.98

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.36 $2.36

33.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.71 $1.71

18.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.38 $2.38

-19.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$10.13 $10.13

-3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$13.70 $13.70

9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.72 $1.72

20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.54 $4.54

-34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 $107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.91 $3.91

-2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.97 $1.97

-36.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 $24.56

$43.67 $43.67

-43.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.99 $0.99

5.05%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

31.95%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.94%

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

$151 $151

$271 $271

-44.20%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$51.5 $51.5

49.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$81.6 $81.6

-12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 $34.11

$29.80 $29.80

14.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 $13.79

$19.65 $19.65

-29.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$13.86 $13.86

10.32%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$1,292 $1,292

3.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$23.7K $23.7K

-19.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$64.4 $64.4

-29.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 $44.81

$49.68 $49.68

-9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$98.6 $98.6

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$115 $115

-4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,242 $1,242

21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,003 $1,003

0.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$1,933 $1,933

56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,637 $1,637

8.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,610 $3,610

$3,514 $3,514

2.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 $2,016

$1,811 $1,811

11.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 $4,191

$3,822 $3,822

9.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.45

2.17%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 0.3% $2.7

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 9.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 34.9% $105

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 1% $2.8

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 89.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 15.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 11.1% $7.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. 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 10% higher in Cincinnati, OH. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Cincinnati, OH versus $67 in Iowa City, IA. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Cincinnati, OH vs $352 in Iowa City, IA – so Iowa City, IA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

1 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

74,828

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Iowa City, IA 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Iowa City, 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

Cincinnati, OH vs Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,426 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $3,376 in Iowa City, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iowa City, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,242 there versus $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH.

Kindergarten costs $1,341 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Cincinnati, OH, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Iowa City, IA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Iowa City, IA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cincinnati, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.