Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, OH and Waterloo, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo, IA: $1,795 a month against $2,198 in Springfield, OH, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, OH
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Springfield, OH Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index

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Springfield, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Springfield, OH and in Waterloo, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Springfield, OH and in Waterloo, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,198 in Springfield, OH versus $1,795 in Waterloo, IA.

Springfield, OH $2,198
Waterloo, IA $1,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,102 in Springfield, OH versus $2,528 in Waterloo, IA.

Springfield, OH $3,102
Waterloo, IA $2,528

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,006 in Springfield, OH versus $3,261 in Waterloo, IA.

Springfield, OH $4,006
Waterloo, IA $3,261

Living in Springfield, OH is roughly 22% more expensive than in Waterloo, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Springfield, OH 63% above, Waterloo, IA 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 $14.94

$16.07 $16.07

-7.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 $68.9

$56.6 $56.6

21.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$9.13 $9.13

20.04%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.83 $5.83

-3.43%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.72 $2.72

-1.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.03 $2.03

25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.96 $3.96

57.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.99 $0.99

-17.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.41 $2.41

-6.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.66 $1.66

93.98%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$3.64 $3.64

3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$13.07 $13.07

-5.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$13.02 $13.02

-5.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$17.68 $17.68

-8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.73 $4.73

19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.61 $1.61

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.83 $3.83

27.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.38 $4.38

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.10 $1.10

121.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.16 $2.16

35.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.92 $1.92

30.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.59 $1.59

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$7.91 $7.91

30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 $15.50

$13.83 $13.83

12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.69 $2.69

-43.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.79 $1.79

100.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.33 $35.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.90 $3.90

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.94 $1.94

-9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.85 $33.85

$43.17 $43.17

-21.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.95 $0.95

-3.16%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$35.3K $35.3K

6.58%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$25.1K $25.1K

-7.39%

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

$235 $235

$149 $149

57.89%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$53.2 $53.2

15.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$60.6 $60.6

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.44 $28.44

$27.11 $27.11

4.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 $13.65

$15.12 $15.12

-9.72%

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

$1,725 $1,725

$1,706 $1,706

1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$23.1K $23.1K

6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$19.78 $19.78

156.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.31 $20.31

$14.89 $14.89

36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 $69.5

$60.4 $60.4

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 $69.2

$78.9 $78.9

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 $1,008

$860 $860

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$740 $740

30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$1,368 $1,368

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$943 $943

44.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,511 $1,511

4.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 $1,614

$1,473 $1,473

9.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,292 $4,292

$3,948 $3,948

8.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.69

-1.79%

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

Last update for Springfield, OH: October 12, 2026

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, OH

$967 44%

Waterloo, IA

$740 41.2% 23.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, OH

$383 17.4%

Waterloo, IA

$362 20.2% 5.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, OH

$360 16.4%

Waterloo, IA

$263 14.6% 27% $97

Eating Out

Springfield, OH

$288 13.1%

Waterloo, IA

$281 15.7% 2.5% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, OH

$94 4.3%

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.4% 17.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, OH

$56 2.5%

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2% 2.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Springfield, OH

$50 2.3%

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8% 72.8% $37

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 $1,008 in Springfield, OH and $860 in Waterloo, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, OH pays 9% 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: $69.0 in Springfield, OH vs $57.0 in Waterloo, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $362 per month, with Waterloo, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, OH

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

1 h behind Springfield, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

67,314

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Springfield, OH Waterloo, IA 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, OH
Waterloo, 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

Springfield, OH vs Waterloo, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterloo, IA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Springfield, OH, 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: $1,008 in Springfield, OH versus $860 in Waterloo, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,725 in Springfield, OH versus $1,706 in Waterloo, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waterloo, IA – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $69.0 in Springfield, OH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,795 in Waterloo, IA versus $2,198 in Springfield, OH, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Waterloo, IA but tight or insufficient in Springfield, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Waterloo, 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.

Expats usually find Waterloo, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Springfield, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.