Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limassol and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,671 in Limassol, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Limassol outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

131

Cost of Living Index in Limassol
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Limassol Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Limassol

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$2,671

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limassol and in Ames, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,671 in Limassol versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Limassol $2,671
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,821 in Limassol versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Limassol $3,821
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,971 in Limassol versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Limassol $4,971
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Limassol is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Limassol 98% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 €19.62

$18.13 $18.13

21.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 €68.8

$52.0 $52.0

48.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 €8.38

$12.18 $12.18

-22.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.55

$4.87 $4.87

-18.07%

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

$1.97 €1.75

$2.60 $2.60

-24.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.09

$2.25 $2.25

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 €4.77

$4.05 $4.05

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €5.06

$6.81 $6.81

-16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.76

$0.89 $0.89

122.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.24

$3.55 $3.55

-29.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

$3.26 $3.26

-6.44%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.34 $3.34

38.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 €11.91

$10.08 $10.08

32.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 €8.56

$13.62 $13.62

-29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 €12.36

$19.05 $19.05

-27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 €3.09

$5.88 $5.88

-40.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.82 $1.82

28.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$6.69 $6.69

-56.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 €3.26

$5.22 $5.22

-29.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$4.54 $4.54

-53.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$4.07 $4.07

-61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.32 $2.32

-44.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.98

$2.44 $2.44

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 €5.89

$13.03 $13.03

-49.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €8.16

$16.11 $16.11

-43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.87 $2.87

-36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.47

$4.98 $4.98

-44.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.99 $0.99

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 €45.54

$35.57 $35.57

43.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 €9.07

$5.09 $5.09

100.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.69 $1.69

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.2 €60.6

$24.13 $24.13

182.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$0.96 $0.96

86.46%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$24.7K $24.7K

33.39%

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

$31.4K €27.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

25.17%

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

$233 €208

$176 $176

32.38%

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

$20.46 €18.20

$54.3 $54.3

-62.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.05 €28.51

$71.2 $71.2

-54.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.4 €86.6

$69.0 $69.0

41.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.67 €30.84

$19.74 $19.74

75.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 €11.92

$15.97 $15.97

-16.09%

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

$676 €601

$1,370 $1,370

-50.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,435

$36.1K $36.1K

-70.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €86.4

$58.4 $58.4

66.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 €46.12

$44.68 $44.68

16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.9

$90.1 $90.1

23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €104

$105 $105

11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 €1,441

$1,005 $1,005

61.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,227

$822 $822

67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 €2,352

$1,860 $1,860

42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,833

$1,505 $1,505

36.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,516 €4,907

$2,432 $2,432

126.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,242 €3,773

$2,185 $2,185

94.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,537 €2,257

$3,597 $3,597

-29.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

6.41

-38.69%

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

Last update for Limassol: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Limassol

$1.4K 51.6%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 40.4% $557

Groceries & Markets

Limassol

$328 12.3%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 33.2% $109

Eating Out

Limassol

$304 11.4%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 3.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Limassol

$286 10.7%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 5.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Limassol

$170 6.4%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 21% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Limassol

$124 4.7%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 18.7% $23

Getting Around

Limassol

$81 3%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 34.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,620 in Limassol and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Limassol vs $52.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $436, with Limassol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇾 Limassol

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

8 h behind Limassol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,000

66,427

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Limassol Ames, IA 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Limassol
Ames, 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

Limassol vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Limassol. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Ames, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,620 in Limassol versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 44% less than in Limassol. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $676 in Limassol versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,671 in Limassol, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Limassol. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Limassol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.