Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Aachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Aachen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,077 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,933 in Aachen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,127 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,991 in Aachen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,176 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $4,049 in Aachen, rent included.

Des Moines, IA costs about 7% more than Aachen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Des Moines, IA and Aachen sit above the global median – Des Moines, IA by 55%, Aachen by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.83 $15.83

$16.33 €13.93

-3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$80.3 €68.5

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$11.52 €9.83

3.82%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$4.14 €3.53

18.36%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$3.37 €2.87

-31.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.02 €2.58

-36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.25 €4.48

-2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.67 €3.98

48.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.21 €1.04

-19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.28 €1.95

6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.35 €2.86

-33.43%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$3.61 €3.08

1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 $12.83

$14.90 €12.71

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 $10.59

$14.03 €11.97

-24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 $12.72

$19.24 €16.41

-33.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.17 €2.71

44.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.78 €1.52

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.28 €1.94

65.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.38 €3.74

-21.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.54 €1.31

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.73 €1.48

70.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.92 €1.64

20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.01 €0.86

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 $6.98

$9.21 €7.85

-24.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$7.25 €6.18

104.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.09 €0.93

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.65 €1.41

139.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.41 €2.91

-47.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 $57.7

$58.7 €50.1

-1.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$5.57 €4.75

-64.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.32 €1.98

-45.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.93 $19.93

$17.18 €14.66

16.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.99 €1.70

-58.79%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$31.8K €27.1K

-16.66%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$38.4K €32.7K

-35.15%

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

$148 $148

$358 €305

-58.72%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$20.01 €17.07

151.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.9 €45.12

-0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 $67.9

$35.66 €30.42

90.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$21.77 €18.57

-8.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 $15.07

$16.29 €13.89

-7.49%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$402 €343

246.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$23.6K €20.1K

-49.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$114 €97.4

-53.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 $42.50

$44.35 €37.83

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$85.1 €72.6

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$134 €114

-7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 $1,209

$805 €686

50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 $897

$606 €517

48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$1,475 €1,259

21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 $1,514

$1,162 €991

30.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$4,757 €4,058

-50.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 $2,352

$3,750 €3,199

-37.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,564 $3,564

$3,526 €3,007

1.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.97

63.73%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: April 22, 2026

Last update for Aachen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,209 in Des Moines, IA versus $805 in Aachen. 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 1% higher in Des Moines, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Des Moines, IA versus $80 in Aachen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $344 – making Des Moines, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Des Moines, IA vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,077 in Des Moines, IA, $1,933 in Aachen – roughly 7% apart. Des Moines, IA costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,116 per month in Des Moines, IA and $2,899 in Aachen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Des Moines, IA and $80.0 in Aachen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,077 in Des Moines, IA and $1,933 in Aachen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Aachen, where all-in costs run around $1,933, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,077. In Aachen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.