Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,152 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
104

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Ames, IA $4,277

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 75% 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: Seattle, WA 178% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.69 $17.69

34.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$52.7 $52.7

87.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.91 $11.91

25.44%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.86 $4.86

39.71%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.62 $2.62

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.30 $2.30

36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$4.05 $4.05

102.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.13 $7.13

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.61 $3.61

46.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.26 $3.26

76.69%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.46 $3.46

41.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$10.37 $10.37

95.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.64 $13.64

31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$18.55 $18.55

25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.82 $5.82

2.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.86 $1.86

1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.48 $6.48

-17.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.15 $5.15

27.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.29 $4.29

-20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.07 $4.07

-29.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.33 $2.33

24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.54 $2.54

-4.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.72 $9.72

25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.93 $15.93

-4.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.90 $2.90

51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.09 $5.09

15.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.97 $0.97

205.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$34.51 $34.51

216.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$5.02 $5.02

-49.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.73 $1.73

-0.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$23.68 $23.68

25.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.90 $0.90

67.78%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

41.75%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.81%

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

$289 $289

$183 $183

57.98%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$56.2 $56.2

22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.4 $69.4

22.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$67.9 $67.9

2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$19.84 $19.84

76.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$14.93 $14.93

20.36%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,337 $1,337

110.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$10.2K $10.2K

328.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$55.8 $55.8

63.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$44.45 $44.45

23.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.8 $88.8

43.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$108 $108

49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,065 $1,065

142.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$834 $834

132.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$1,787 $1,787

185.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,445 $1,445

145.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,605 $2,605

182.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,115 $2,115

132.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,549 $3,549

81.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.41

6.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 57.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 19.8% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 30.3% $134

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 27.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 31.7% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 60.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 7.2% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $53 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $436 per month, with Ames, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

66,427

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Ames, IA 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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

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

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Seattle, WA. 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 82% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,065 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 68% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $1,337 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 43% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.