Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Lodi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lodi: $1,583 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubuque, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Lodi
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Lodi Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Lodi

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,583

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubuque, IA and in Lodi

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $1,583 in Lodi, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Lodi $1,583

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,601 in Lodi, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Lodi $2,601

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $3,619 in Lodi, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Lodi $3,619

Dubuque, IA costs about 9% more than Lodi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Dubuque, IA and Lodi sit above the global median – Dubuque, IA by 28%, Lodi by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$17.00 €15.12

-18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$73.7 €65.6

-32.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$11.14 €9.91

5.92%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$1.88 €1.67

165.43%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.93 €2.60

-31.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 €1.21

-30.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.68 €5.05

-47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$6.29 €5.59

-27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.42 €1.26

-45.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.18 €1.94

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.18 €1.94

29.36%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.34 €2.08

21.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$15.33 €13.64

-8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$14.40 €12.81

-27.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$25.19 €22.41

-57.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.71 €2.41

22.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.68 €1.49

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.02 €2.68

7.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.51 €2.23

-2.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.11 €1.88

-35.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.25 €2.01

-25.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.63 €1.45

48.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.35 €0.31

411.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$5.89 €5.24

47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$4.37 €3.89

205.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.42 €2.15

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.21 €2.85

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.98 €35.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.08 €24.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.05 €1.82

-55.61%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$28.8K €25.6K

-14.75%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$28.4K €25.3K

-11.86%

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

$176 $176

$197 €176

-10.73%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$10.55 €9.39

392.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$27.27 €24.26

86.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$65.2 €58.0

-43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.95 €24.86

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$11.03 €9.81

-25.93%

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

$812 $812

$683 €608

18.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,284 €6,479

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$87.3 €77.6

-36.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$45.66 €40.61

-21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$91.3 €81.2

-5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$89.1 €79.3

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$570 €507

72.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$465 €413

55.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,237 €1,100

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,041 €926

15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$3,247 €2,888

-46.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$2,473 €2,200

-30.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$2,222 €1,976

69.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

3.65

43.84%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lodi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Lodi

$465 29.4% 35.9% $260

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Lodi

$345 21.8% 10.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Lodi

$235 14.9% 15.7% $44

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Lodi

$250 15.8% 3.3% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Lodi

$141 8.9% 17.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Lodi

$87 5.5% 63.9% $34

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Lodi

$60 3.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $570 in Lodi. 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 70% higher in Dubuque, 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 $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $74.0 in Lodi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $345 – making Dubuque, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇮🇹 Lodi

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

04:34 4:34 AM

7 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

40,805

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Lodi 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
Lodi

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

Dubuque, IA vs Lodi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubuque, IA costs about 9% more than Lodi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA and $2,374 in Lodi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $1,583 in Lodi. That's a gap of about 9%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $683 in Lodi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lodi, where all-in costs run around $1,583, than in Dubuque, IA at $1,731. In Lodi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubuque, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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