Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Waterloo, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo, IA: $1,807 a month against $2,104 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
Learn more

Ljubljana Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
Learn more

Waterloo, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,104

/mo nomad

Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ljubljana and in Waterloo, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Ljubljana versus $1,807 in Waterloo, IA.

Ljubljana $2,104
Waterloo, IA $1,807

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,149 in Ljubljana versus $2,550 in Waterloo, IA.

Ljubljana $3,149
Waterloo, IA $2,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,194 in Ljubljana versus $3,294 in Waterloo, IA.

Ljubljana $4,194
Waterloo, IA $3,294

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 16% more expensive than in Waterloo, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 55% above, Waterloo, IA 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.86 €14.25

$16.11 $16.11

-1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 €59.6

$56.4 $56.4

17.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 €10.18

$8.91 $8.91

27.16%

Cappuccino

$2.85 €2.56

$5.81 $5.81

-50.95%

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

$3.07 €2.76

$2.67 $2.67

14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.95 $1.95

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.44

$3.92 $3.92

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.93

$7.82 $7.82

-44.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.19

$0.97 $0.97

36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.40 $2.40

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.77

$1.74 $1.74

77.59%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.52

$3.61 $3.61

8.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.57 €13.09

$13.41 $13.41

8.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 €8.69

$13.36 $13.36

-27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 €13.06

$17.38 $17.38

-16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$4.70 $4.70

-52.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.53 $1.53

13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$3.87 $3.87

-40.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.10

$4.43 $4.43

-22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.14 $1.14

30.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$2.21 $2.21

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.97 $1.97

-12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$1.57 $1.57

-45.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 €5.49

$8.25 $8.25

-25.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 €6.88

$13.98 $13.98

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.25

$2.71 $2.71

-48.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.77 $1.77

23.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.77 €37.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.99

$4.04 $4.04

-45.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.12

$2.03 $2.03

-38.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 €16.89

$44.55 $44.55

-57.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.62

$1.01 $1.01

78.22%

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

$29.4K €26.4K

$31.0K $31.0K

-5.16%

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

$24.7K €22.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

-5.25%

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

$289 €259

$152 $152

90.16%

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

$15.95 €14.33

$52.8 $52.8

-69.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.66 €34.73

$60.8 $60.8

-36.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €46.08

$26.92 $26.92

90.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.20 €21.74

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €9.21

$15.19 $15.19

-32.52%

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

$643 €578

$1,662 $1,662

-61.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €12.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

-42.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$19.83 $19.83

467.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 €38.72

$15.15 $15.15

184.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.6

$58.9 $58.9

86.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$79.2 $79.2

80.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,032

$850 $850

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 €815

$749 $749

21.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 €2,126

$1,359 $1,359

74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 €1,458

$973 $973

66.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,815 €6,122

$1,582 $1,582

330.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,052 €4,538

$1,530 $1,530

230.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,940 €1,742

$3,801 $3,801

-48.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

6.69

-47.38%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ljubljana

$907 43.1%

Waterloo, IA

$749 41.5% 17.4% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ljubljana

$343 16.3%

Waterloo, IA

$265 14.7% 22.7% $78

Groceries & Markets

Ljubljana

$298 14.2%

Waterloo, IA

$364 20.2% 22.1% $66

Eating Out

Ljubljana

$243 11.5%

Waterloo, IA

$279 15.4% 14.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ljubljana

$184 8.7%

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.3% 57.6% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Ljubljana

$72 3.4%

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Ljubljana

$57 2.7%

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8% 75.1% $43

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 $1,149 in Ljubljana and $850 in Waterloo, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterloo, IA pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Ljubljana vs $56 in Waterloo, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $364, with Ljubljana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

00:27 12:27 AM

6 h behind Ljubljana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,604 Capital

67,314

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ljubljana Waterloo, IA 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ljubljana
Waterloo, 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

Ljubljana vs Waterloo, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterloo, IA is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Ljubljana. 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: $1,149 in Ljubljana versus $850 in Waterloo, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Ljubljana versus $1,662 in Waterloo, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterloo, IA – a meal for two runs $56 versus $66 in Ljubljana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Waterloo, IA 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.