Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo, OH: $1,899 a month against $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Iowa City, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Toledo, OH
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Toledo, OH Living Index

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Toledo, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,899 in Toledo, OH.

Iowa City, IA $2,251
Toledo, OH $1,899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,264 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,892 in Toledo, OH.

Iowa City, IA $3,264
Toledo, OH $2,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,276 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,885 in Toledo, OH.

Iowa City, IA $4,276
Toledo, OH $3,885

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 19% more expensive than in Toledo, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iowa City, IA 65% above, Toledo, OH 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$19.64 $19.64

-23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 $67.3

$66.3 $66.3

1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 $9.03

$9.87 $9.87

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.29 $5.29

4.73%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.13 $2.13

30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.58 $1.58

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.99 $4.99

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$5.07 $5.07

40.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.94 $0.94

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.33 $3.33

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$4.15 $4.15

-51.33%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.32 $3.32

11.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$11.21 $11.21

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 $10.64

$10.03 $10.03

6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.95 $19.95

$16.53 $16.53

20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.43 $3.43

-1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.45 $1.45

-15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.45 $4.45

-40.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.83 $3.83

27.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.58 $2.58

-23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.96 $1.96

20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.60 $2.60

-34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.21 $2.21

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$9.89 $9.89

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 $13.70

$13.44 $13.44

1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.95 $1.95

-11.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.04 $3.04

49.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.57 $45.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.44 $2.44

60.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.45 $2.45

-19.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.67 $43.67

$39.64 $39.64

10.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.02 $1.02

-2.94%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-12.54%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.44%

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

$271 $271

$181 $181

49.98%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$61.7 $61.7

-16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$64.8 $64.8

25.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.80 $29.80

$24.19 $24.19

23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.65 $19.65

$19.71 $19.71

-0.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 $13.86

$12.09 $12.09

14.64%

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

$1,292 $1,292

$1,688 $1,688

-23.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$14.2K $14.2K

67.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$45.52 $45.52

41.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 $49.68

$39.79 $39.79

24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 $98.6

$71.1 $71.1

38.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$78.5 $78.5

46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 $1,242

$955 $955

30.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 $1,003

$710 $710

41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$1,193 $1,193

62.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$1,267 $1,267

29.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,514 $3,514

$1,768 $1,768

98.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,303 $1,303

38.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,822 $3,822

$3,434 $3,434

11.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.51

-0.92%

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

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

Last update for Toledo, OH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6%

Toledo, OH

$710 37.4% 29.1% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$404 18%

Toledo, OH

$308 16.2% 24% $97

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6%

Toledo, OH

$360 19% 2.4% $8.4

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1%

Toledo, OH

$300 15.8% 9.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6%

Toledo, OH

$106 5.6% 28.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6%

Toledo, OH

$48 2.6% 15.9% $9.1

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6%

Toledo, OH

$66 3.5% 383% $53

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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA and $955 in Toledo, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67 in Iowa City, IA vs $66 in Toledo, OH. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $360, with Iowa City, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 Toledo, OH

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

1 h ahead of Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

268,508

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Iowa City, IA
Toledo, OH

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

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

Toledo, OH is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Iowa City, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,242 in Iowa City, IA versus $955 in Toledo, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,292 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,688 in Toledo, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,251 per month in Iowa City, IA versus $1,899 in Toledo, OH – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Toledo, OH 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.

It comes down to priorities – Toledo, OH wins on affordability, Iowa City, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.