Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankeny, IA: $2,340 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Ankeny, IA $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,308 in Ankeny, IA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Ankeny, IA $3,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,275 in Ankeny, IA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Ankeny, IA $4,275

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 62% more expensive than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Ankeny, IA 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.05 $20.05

26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.4 $79.4

27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.94 $11.94

23.62%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.60 $5.60

16.07%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.04 $3.04

5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.71 $1.71

83.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.05 $5.05

57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.73 $5.73

41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.89 $0.89

31.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.00 $3.00

76.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.26 $3.26

96.32%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.96 $3.96

27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.84 $9.84

90.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.29 $8.29

125.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.78 $14.78

54.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.46 $5.46

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.50 $1.50

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.91 $4.91

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.66 $3.66

78.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.17 $2.17

60.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.32 $3.32

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.91 $1.91

46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.83 $8.83

41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.94 $14.94

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.74 $1.74

140.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.48 $2.48

133.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.26 $1.26

30.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$20.20 $20.20

49.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

40.20%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.98%

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

$308 $308

$160 $160

91.71%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.9 $52.9

30.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$66.2 $66.2

29.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$74.6 $74.6

2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$9.82 $9.82

83.50%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,095 $1,095

150.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$11.9K $11.9K

156.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.07 $47.07

68.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$34.51 $34.51

57.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.2 $88.2

43.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$118 $118

34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,107 $1,107

126.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,157 $1,157

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,968 $1,968

160.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,600 $1,600

121.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,485 $5,485

17.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.37

8.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4% 40.3% $781

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1% 35.6% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Ankeny, IA

$280 12% 39.6% $183

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6% 21.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5% 31.3% $59

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4% 93.6% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Ankeny, IA

$94 4% 16.2% $18

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 18% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $352 per month, with Ankeny, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

67,887

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Ankeny, IA 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, so Ankeny, IA is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA – Ankeny, IA is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Ankeny, 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.

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