Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Iowa City, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Iowa City, IA

😐 Solo nomad: Seattle, WA is 55.5% more expensive than Iowa City, IA without rent, and 58.5% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Seattle, WA is 46% more expensive than Iowa City, IA without rent, and 81.8% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.58 $24.58

$15.08 $15.08

63.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$74.0 $74.0

60.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.21 $14.21

$9.11 $9.11

55.98%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.14 $5.14

9.14%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.46 $2.46

23.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.78 $1.78

35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 $7.61

$5.05 $5.05

50.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.14 $7.14

13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.89 $0.89

52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.71 $2.71

77.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.89 $4.89

9.20%

Eggs

$6.82 $6.82

$3.92 $3.92

73.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.08 $25.08

$9.46 $9.46

165.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 $16.14

$10.50 $10.50

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.50 $20.50

$16.32 $16.32

25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.38 $3.38

83.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.21 $1.21

138.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.66 $2.66

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.81 $4.81

36.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.04 $2.04

56.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.82 $2.82

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.95 $1.95

44.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.04 $2.04

24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$9.18 $9.18

26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.70 $16.70

$15.78 $15.78

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.76 $1.76

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.70 $4.70

-7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.98 $1.98

42.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 $99.5

$15.81 $15.81

529.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.39 $4.39

-39.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.23 $2.23

-26.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$41.99 $41.99

-27.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.81 $0.81

41.98%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

29.32%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.81%

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

$270 $270

$220 $220

23.12%

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

$61.9 $61.9

$51.2 $51.2

20.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 $75.1

$75.6 $75.6

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 $80.5

$48.87 $48.87

64.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.95 $40.95

$19.77 $19.77

107.13%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 $15.91

$11.99 $11.99

32.69%

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

$2,264 $2,264

$1,248 $1,248

81.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$24.4K $24.4K

20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 $69.3

$66.9 $66.9

3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 $53.1

$48.11 $48.11

10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$101 $101

16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 $2,307

$1,209 $1,209

90.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 $1,878

$1,095 $1,095

71.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,573 $4,573

$2,359 $2,359

93.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,483 $3,483

$1,559 $1,559

123.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 $7,779

$3,792 $3,792

105.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,269 $5,269

$1,918 $1,918

174.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,536 $6,536

$3,695 $3,695

76.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.43

-0.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: February 28, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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