Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,174 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
104

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,174 in Ames, IA.

New York, NY $4,941
Ames, IA $2,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,216 in Ames, IA.

New York, NY $7,225
Ames, IA $3,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,258 in Ames, IA.

New York, NY $9,509
Ames, IA $4,258

Living in New York, NY is roughly 127% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Ames, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.89 $17.89

59.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$52.5 $52.5

125.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.92 $11.92

26.17%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.97 $4.97

31.39%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.60 $2.60

52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.28 $2.28

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.12 $4.12

98.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.88 $6.88

43.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.83 $0.83

65.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.59 $3.59

38.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.22 $3.22

142.55%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.41 $3.41

75.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.31 $10.31

83.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.47 $13.47

33.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.03 $19.03

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.93 $5.93

14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.82 $1.82

24.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.64 $6.64

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.21 $5.21

36.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.53 $4.53

-6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.16 $4.16

11.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.43 $2.43

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.15 $10.15

84.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.29 $16.29

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.79 $2.79

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.05 $5.05

-20.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.01 $1.01

188.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$35.22 $35.22

294.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.12 $5.12

-39.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.72 $1.72

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.02 $24.02

74.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.93 $0.93

25.81%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

31.90%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.18%

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

$219 $219

$182 $182

20.60%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$55.9 $55.9

32.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$70.3 $70.3

-0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$69.4 $69.4

61.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$19.80 $19.80

278.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.77 $14.77

49.90%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,356 $1,356

162.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$35.9K $35.9K

73.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$58.7 $58.7

28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.33 $43.33

18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$89.9 $89.9

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$107 $107

31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,010 $1,010

345.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$850 $850

261.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,783 $1,783

429.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,416 $1,416

266.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,677 $2,677

576.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,131 $2,131

214.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,671 $3,671

42.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.41

7.02%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Ames, IA

$851 39.1% 72.4% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ames, IA

$436 20.1% 22.5% $127

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ames, IA

$292 13.5% 33.6% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ames, IA

$308 14.2% 15.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 23.4% $41

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ames, IA

$53 2.4% 67.7% $111

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ames, IA

$99 4.6% 36.7% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,010 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 42% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $52 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $436 per month, with Ames, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

66,427

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Ames, IA 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,010 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 75% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,356 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ames, IA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 56% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.