Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toledo, OH and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo, OH: $1,899 a month against $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Iowa City, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

92

Cost of Living Index in Toledo, OH
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Toledo, OH Living Index
109

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

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Toledo, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,899

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,899 in Toledo, OH versus $2,251 in Iowa City, IA.

Toledo, OH $1,899
Iowa City, IA $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,892 in Toledo, OH versus $3,264 in Iowa City, IA.

Toledo, OH $2,892
Iowa City, IA $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Toledo, OH versus $4,276 in Iowa City, IA.

Toledo, OH $3,885
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Living in Toledo, OH costs roughly 16% less than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toledo, OH 40% above, Iowa City, IA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$15.12 $15.12

29.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 $66.3

$67.3 $67.3

-1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$9.03 $9.03

9.30%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.54 $5.54

-4.51%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$2.77 $2.77

-23.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.23 $2.23

-29.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.86 $4.86

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$7.13 $7.13

-28.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.92 $0.92

2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.79 $2.79

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.02 $2.02

105.45%

Eggs

$3.32 $3.32

$3.71 $3.71

-10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$9.43 $9.43

18.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

$10.64 $10.64

-5.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.53 $16.53

$19.95 $19.95

-17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.37 $3.37

1.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.22 $1.22

18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.65 $2.65

67.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$4.87 $4.87

-21.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.36 $2.36

-16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.71 $1.71

52.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.38 $2.38

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.13 $10.13

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.70 $13.70

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.54 $4.54

-33.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.57 $45.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.91 $3.91

-37.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.97 $1.97

24.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.64 $39.64

$43.67 $43.67

-9.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

14.34%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.44%

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

$181 $181

$271 $271

-33.32%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$51.5 $51.5

20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$81.6 $81.6

-20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.19 $24.19

$29.80 $29.80

-18.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 $19.71

$19.65 $19.65

0.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 $12.09

$13.86 $13.86

-12.77%

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

$1,688 $1,688

$1,292 $1,292

30.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$23.7K $23.7K

-40.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 $45.52

$64.4 $64.4

-29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 $39.79

$49.68 $49.68

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 $71.1

$98.6 $98.6

-27.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 $78.5

$115 $115

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 $955

$1,242 $1,242

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 $710

$1,003 $1,003

-29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 $1,193

$1,933 $1,933

-38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$1,637 $1,637

-22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,768 $1,768

$3,514 $3,514

-49.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,811 $1,811

-28.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,434 $3,434

$3,822 $3,822

-10.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.45

0.93%

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

Last update for Toledo, OH: 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

Toledo, OH

$710 37.4%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 41.1% $292

Groceries & Markets

Toledo, OH

$360 19%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 2.3% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toledo, OH

$308 16.2%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 31.5% $97

Eating Out

Toledo, OH

$300 15.8%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Toledo, OH

$106 5.6%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 39.5% $42

Getting Around

Toledo, OH

$66 3.5%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 79.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Toledo, OH

$48 2.6%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 18.9% $9.1

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 $955 in Toledo, OH and $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 11% 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: $66 in Toledo, OH vs $67 in Iowa City, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $352, with Iowa City, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Toledo, OH

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

1 h behind Toledo, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

268,508

74,828

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Toledo, OH Iowa City, IA 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Toledo, OH
Iowa City, 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

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

Toledo, OH is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Toledo, OH. 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: $955 in Toledo, OH versus $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,688 in Toledo, OH versus $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,899 per month in Toledo, OH versus $2,251 in Iowa City, IA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Toledo, OH gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 – Toledo, OH wins on affordability, Iowa City, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.