Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheffield and Ankeny, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheffield: $2,233 a month against $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sheffield, United Kingdom
Ankeny, IA, United States
Sheffield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,233
/mo nomad
Ankeny, IA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,233 in Sheffield versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA.

  • Sheffield $2,233
  • Ankeny, IA $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Sheffield versus $3,308 in Ankeny, IA.

  • Sheffield $3,224
  • Ankeny, IA $3,308

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,215 in Sheffield versus $4,275 in Ankeny, IA.

  • Sheffield $4,215
  • Ankeny, IA $4,275

Living in Sheffield costs roughly 5% less than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sheffield 64% above, Ankeny, IA 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.06 £15.10
$20.05 $20.05
0.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.9 £61.6
$79.4 $79.4
3.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.53 £7.92
$11.94 $11.94
-11.81%
Cappuccino
$4.25 £3.20
$5.60 $5.60
-24.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 £1.78
$3.04 $3.04
-22.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.71 $1.71
-23.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.91 £4.45
$5.05 $5.05
17.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.48 £4.13
$5.73 $5.73
-4.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.12
$0.89 $0.89
67.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 £1.45
$3.00 $3.00
-36.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.60 £1.95
$3.26 $3.26
-20.25%
Eggs
$4.24 £3.19
$3.96 $3.96
7.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.79 £6.62
$9.84 $9.84
-10.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 £6.51
$8.29 $8.29
4.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.24 £10.72
$14.78 $14.78
-3.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 £2.22
$5.46 $5.46
-45.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.50 $1.50
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.73 £2.06
$4.91 $4.91
-44.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.89 £2.17
$3.66 $3.66
-21.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 £1.38
$2.17 $2.17
-15.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.39 £1.05
$3.32 $3.32
-58.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 £0.88
$1.91 $1.91
-38.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.54 $2.54
-44.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.92 £15.75
$8.83 $8.83
136.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.33 £8.53
$14.94 $14.94
-24.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.45 £2.60
$1.74 $1.74
98.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 £2.41
$2.48 $2.48
29.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.91 £2.95
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £81.3
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 £4.12
$1.97 $1.97
178.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 £1.08
$1.26 $1.26
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.99 £15.04
$20.20 $20.20
-1.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 £1.59
$1.00 $1.00
111.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$26.2K $26.2K
48.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.4K
$25.6K $25.6K
57.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £252
$160 $160
109.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.57 £14.73
$52.9 $52.9
-62.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.14 £32.47
$66.2 $66.2
-34.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.32 £26.58
$74.6 $74.6
-52.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.46 £6.37
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.57 £10.21
$9.82 $9.82
38.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,246 £938
$1,095 $1,095
13.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.0K £18.8K
$11.9K $11.9K
109.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.4 £65.8
$47.07 $47.07
85.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.17 £31.74
$34.51 $34.51
22.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.4 £69.5
$88.2 $88.2
4.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.8 £68.3
$118 $118
-23.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 £909
$1,107 $1,107
9.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$900 £677
$1,157 $1,157
-22.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,726 £1,299
$1,968 $1,968
-12.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,377 £1,037
$1,600 $1,600
-13.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,071 £3,816
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,819 £2,122
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sheffield
Ankeny, IA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,127 £2,353
$5,485 $5,485
-42.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
6.37
-25.12%

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

Last update for Sheffield: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sheffield
$900
Ankeny, IA
$1.2K 28.6% $257
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sheffield
$398
Ankeny, IA
$280 29.8% $119
Eating Out
Sheffield
$298
Ankeny, IA
$319 7% $21
Groceries & Markets
Sheffield
$297
Ankeny, IA
$352 18.5% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Sheffield
$141
Ankeny, IA
$130 7.9% $11
Getting Around
Sheffield
$136
Ankeny, IA
$8.3 * 93.9% $128
Sport & Entertainment
Sheffield
$62
Ankeny, IA
$94 50.8% $32

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 $1,208 in Sheffield and $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 75% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Sheffield vs $79 in Ankeny, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $352, with Sheffield cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Sheffield
🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA
🕒 Local time
21:48 9:48 PM
16:48 4:48 PM
5 h behind Sheffield
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
547,000
67,887
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sheffield Ankeny, IA 6,540 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sheffield
  • 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
Sheffield vs Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sheffield and in Ankeny, IA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,233 in Sheffield and $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, so Sheffield is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Sheffield. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Sheffield and in Ankeny, IA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Sheffield versus $1,107 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Ankeny, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sheffield or Ankeny, IA?
All in, you’ll spend $2,233 per month in Sheffield versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA – Sheffield is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How does quality of life compare between Sheffield and Ankeny, IA?
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.
Is Sheffield or Ankeny, IA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sheffield and Ankeny, IA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Sheffield and Ankeny, IA?
It comes down to priorities – Sheffield wins on affordability, Ankeny, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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