Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheffield and Ankeny, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheffield and Ankeny, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,197 in Sheffield versus $1,993 in Ankeny, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,238 in Sheffield versus $2,892 in Ankeny, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Sheffield versus $3,790 in Ankeny, IA.

Living in Sheffield is roughly 10% more expensive than Ankeny, IA, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sheffield 64% above, Ankeny, IA 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 £13.17

$15.25 $15.25

16.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 £57.0

$57.7 $57.7

32.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 £8.23

$11.81 $11.81

-6.35%

Cappuccino

$4.57 £3.40

$6.17 $6.17

-25.93%

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

$2.43 £1.81

$2.57 $2.57

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.57 $1.57

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 £4.15

$5.09 $5.09

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 £3.93

$7.11 $7.11

-25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.91 $0.91

68.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.44 $2.44

-39.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.64

$2.25 $2.25

-2.22%

Eggs

$3.77 £2.81

$3.63 $3.63

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 £7.18

$10.90 $10.90

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 £6.43

$10.94 $10.94

-21.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 £8.85

$14.32 $14.32

-16.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 £2.45

$4.52 $4.52

-27.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.02 $2.02

-28.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 £1.96

$4.86 $4.86

-45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 £2.24

$4.53 $4.53

-33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$3.59 $3.59

-49.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$3.33 $3.33

-59.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 £0.77

$1.04 $1.04

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$0.67 $0.67

94.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.38 £14.44

$9.01 $9.01

115.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.42

$15.30 $15.30

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.10

$1.68 $1.68

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.43

$3.41 $3.41

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 £2.51

$1.97 $1.97

71.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £72.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 £3.95

$1.99 $1.99

166.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 £0.96

$2.16 $2.16

-40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 £15.40

$20.24 $20.24

2.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$0.83 $0.83

133.73%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

48.69%

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

$39.2K £29.2K

$24.1K $24.1K

62.67%

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

$316 £235

$146 $146

115.85%

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

$18.37 £13.68

$49.88 $49.88

-63.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.00 £32.03

$62.9 $62.9

-31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 £33.61

$42.89 $42.89

5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 £6.20

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 £8.55

$15.13 $15.13

-24.06%

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

$1,251 £932

$1,088 $1,088

14.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,683 £4,977

$11.7K $11.7K

-42.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 £57.1

$49.04 $49.04

56.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 £28.79

$34.51 $34.51

12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 £63.6

$84.5 $84.5

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 £61.3

$94.0 $94.0

-12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 £839

$924 $924

21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 £685

$916 $916

0.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 £1,377

$1,850 $1,850

-0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 £1,156

$1,353 $1,353

14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,733 £4,270

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,752 £2,050

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,262 £2,429

$5,274 $5,274

-38.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

6.54

-18.96%

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

Last update for Sheffield: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,126 in Sheffield and $924 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Sheffield vs $58.0 in Ankeny, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $340, with Sheffield cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sheffield vs Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sheffield and Ankeny, IA differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,197 vs $1,993 including rent). Ankeny, IA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ankeny, IA earns 62% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,126 in Sheffield versus $924 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sheffield pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,197 per month in Sheffield versus $1,993 in Ankeny, IA – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,993 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,197 in Sheffield, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ankeny, IA but tight or insufficient in Sheffield. 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.

Safety-wise, Sheffield and Ankeny, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ankeny, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Sheffield. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.