Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drogheda and Cedar Rapids, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar Rapids, IA: $2,058 a month against $3,029 in Drogheda, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Drogheda
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Drogheda Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Cedar Rapids, IA
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Cedar Rapids, IA Living Index

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Drogheda

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,029

/mo nomad

Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Drogheda and in Cedar Rapids, IA

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

A single person spends $3,029 per month in Drogheda vs $2,058 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

Drogheda $3,029
Cedar Rapids, IA $2,058

A couple spends around $4,445 per month in Drogheda vs $3,080 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

Drogheda $4,445
Cedar Rapids, IA $3,080

A family of three spends $5,861 per month in Drogheda vs $4,101 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent included.

Drogheda $5,861
Cedar Rapids, IA $4,101

Drogheda costs about 47% more than Cedar Rapids, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Drogheda and Cedar Rapids, IA sit above the global median – Drogheda by 124%, Cedar Rapids, IA by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 €16.66

$15.12 $15.12

23.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 €80.8

$69.7 $69.7

30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 €10.31

$10.84 $10.84

6.92%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.68

$5.81 $5.81

-28.74%

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

$2.92 €2.60

$2.79 $2.79

4.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.88 $1.88

18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$4.63 $4.63

45.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.87 $5.87

13.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.70 $0.70

141.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.46 $2.46

-8.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 €0.95

$4.70 $4.70

-77.23%

Eggs

$4.52 €4.02

$2.52 $2.52

79.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 €9.02

$14.10 $14.10

-28.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$10.94 $10.94

19.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 €14.37

$16.25 $16.25

-0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.63

$4.93 $4.93

-39.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.10 $1.10

74.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$5.26 $5.26

-66.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 €4.23

$4.58 $4.58

3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.59 $2.59

-32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 €0.92

$2.22 $2.22

-53.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.01 $2.01

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.23 $2.23

-30.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.24 €18.00

$10.01 $10.01

102.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 €11.96

$10.82 $10.82

24.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.18 $2.18

55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.18

$3.26 $3.26

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.71 $1.71

75.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$210 €186

$30.20 $30.20

593.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 €4.45

$3.48 $3.48

43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.84 $1.84

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.62 €29.01

$45.60 $45.60

-28.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$0.85 $0.85

149.41%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$36.1K $36.1K

8.50%

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

$37.5K €33.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

41.12%

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

$243 €216

$208 $208

17.21%

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

$22.08 €19.64

$52.0 $52.0

-57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 €39.45

$70.2 $70.2

-36.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 €67.2

$102 $102

-26.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.3 €58.9

$19.05 $19.05

247.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 €11.96

$12.77 $12.77

5.32%

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

$1,091 €970

$893 $893

22.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,983 €1,764

$12.8K $12.8K

-84.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €83.4

$62.5 $62.5

49.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 €37.57

$63.5 $63.5

-33.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$128 $128

-16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$152 $152

-20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 €1,621

$1,141 $1,141

59.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,399

$724 $724

117.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,212 €2,857

$1,637 $1,637

96.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 €2,285

$1,194 $1,194

115.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,945 €3,509

$1,582 $1,582

149.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,549

$1,547 $1,547

85.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,463 €3,080

$3,682 $3,682

-5.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

6.63

-37.56%

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

Last update for Drogheda: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cedar Rapids, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Drogheda

$1.6K 51.9%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$724 35.2% 54% $849

Groceries & Markets

Drogheda

$345 11.4%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$367 17.9% 6.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Drogheda

$310 10.2%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$330 16% 6.5% $20

Eating Out

Drogheda

$302 10%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$277 13.5% 8.3% $25

Getting Around

Drogheda

$234 7.7%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$50 2.4% 78.8% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Drogheda

$164 5.4%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$183 8.9% 11.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Drogheda

$102 3.4%

Cedar Rapids, IA

$128 6.2% 24.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,823 in Drogheda versus $1,141 in Cedar Rapids, 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 6% higher in Cedar Rapids, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Drogheda versus $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Drogheda vs $367 in Cedar Rapids, IA – so Drogheda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Drogheda

🇺🇸 Cedar Rapids, IA

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

12:55 12:55 PM

6 h behind Drogheda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,135

137,710

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Drogheda Cedar Rapids, IA 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Drogheda
Cedar Rapids, 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

Drogheda vs Cedar Rapids, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Drogheda is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,543 per month in Drogheda and $3,087 in Cedar Rapids, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Drogheda – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Drogheda and $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cedar Rapids, IA, where all-in costs run around $2,058, than in Drogheda at $3,029. In Cedar Rapids, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drogheda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cedar Rapids, IA – 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 Cedar Rapids, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Drogheda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.