Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,251 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,251 in Iowa City, IA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Iowa City, IA $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,264 in Iowa City, IA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Iowa City, IA $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,276 in Iowa City, IA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 68% more expensive than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Iowa City, IA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.12 $15.12

67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.3 $67.3

49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.03 $9.03

63.46%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.54 $5.54

17.33%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.77 $2.77

15.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.23 $2.23

40.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.86 $4.86

63.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.13 $7.13

14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.79 $2.79

89.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.02 $2.02

216.83%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.71 $3.71

36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.43 $9.43

98.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.64 $10.64

75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.95 $19.95

14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.37 $3.37

79.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 $1.22

59.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.65 $2.65

107.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.87 $4.87

33.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.98 $1.98

76.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.36 $2.36

39.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.71 $1.71

63.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.38 $2.38

8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.13 $10.13

23.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.70 $13.70

8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.72 $1.72

143.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.54 $4.54

27.75%

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

$3.91 $3.91

-34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.97 $1.97

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$43.67 $43.67

-31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.39%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.14%

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

$308 $308

$271 $271

13.32%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.5 $51.5

34.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$81.6 $81.6

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$29.80 $29.80

156.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$19.65 $19.65

80.66%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.86 $13.86

30.01%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,292 $1,292

112.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.7K $23.7K

28.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$64.4 $64.4

22.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.68 $49.68

9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$98.6 $98.6

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$115 $115

38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,242 $1,242

101.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,003 $1,003

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,933 $1,933

164.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,637 $1,637

116.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,514 $3,514

109.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,811 $1,811

176.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,822 $3,822

69.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.45

6.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, 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%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 48.3% $936

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 35.7% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 12.6% $58

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 32.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 21.9% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 89.3% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 48.9% $55

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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $67 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $352 per month, with Iowa City, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

74,828

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Iowa City, IA 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Iowa City, IA

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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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa City, IA is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% 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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Iowa City, IA – a meal for two runs $67 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,251 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Iowa City, IA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Iowa City, 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 – Iowa City, 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.