Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo, IA and Ljubljana

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo, IA: $1,795 a month against $2,073 in Ljubljana, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Ljubljana
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Ljubljana Living Index

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Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,795

/mo nomad

Ljubljana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$2,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waterloo, IA and in Ljubljana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,795 in Waterloo, IA versus $2,073 in Ljubljana.

Waterloo, IA $1,795
Ljubljana $2,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,528 in Waterloo, IA versus $3,059 in Ljubljana.

Waterloo, IA $2,528
Ljubljana $3,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Waterloo, IA versus $4,045 in Ljubljana.

Waterloo, IA $3,261
Ljubljana $4,045

Living in Waterloo, IA costs roughly 13% less than in Ljubljana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waterloo, IA 33% above, Ljubljana 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 $16.07

$15.76 €14.02

1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 $56.6

$67.0 €59.6

-15.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$11.07 €9.84

-17.52%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$2.85 €2.53

104.56%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$3.10 €2.76

-12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.98 €1.76

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.01 €3.56

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.44 €3.95

83.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.30 €1.16

-23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.17 €1.93

11.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.08 €2.74

-46.10%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$4.05 €3.60

-10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$14.79 €13.15

-11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.03 €8.92

29.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$14.84 €13.20

19.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.19 €1.95

115.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.74 €1.55

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.27 €2.02

68.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.55 €3.15

23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.50 €1.34

-26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.63 €1.45

32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.71 €1.52

12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.83 €0.74

91.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.16 €5.48

28.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$7.62 €6.78

81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.42 €1.26

89.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.16 €1.92

-17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.07 €37.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.21 €1.97

76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 €1.15

50.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.17 $43.17

$19.24 €17.11

124.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.85 €1.65

-48.65%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$29.4K €26.1K

20.02%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.0K €22.2K

0.29%

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

$149 $149

$278 €248

-46.55%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$16.61 €14.78

220.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$40.72 €36.22

48.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 $27.11

$53.8 €47.87

-49.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.04 €21.38

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$10.77 €9.58

40.39%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$658 €585

159.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$14.1K €12.5K

63.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.78 $19.78

$115 €102

-82.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.89 $14.89

$42.95 €38.20

-65.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 $60.4

$108 €95.9

-44.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$145 €129

-45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 $860

$1,090 €970

-21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 $740

$875 €779

-15.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 $1,368

$2,074 €1,845

-34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 $943

$1,459 €1,298

-35.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 $1,511

$6,492 €5,774

-76.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,473 $1,473

$4,815 €4,283

-69.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,948 $3,948

$1,929 €1,716

104.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

3.52

90.06%

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

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ljubljana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterloo, IA

$740 41.2%

Ljubljana

$875 42.2% 18.3% $135

Groceries & Markets

Waterloo, IA

$362 20.2%

Ljubljana

$302 14.6% 16.7% $60

Eating Out

Waterloo, IA

$281 15.7%

Ljubljana

$243 11.7% 13.7% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterloo, IA

$263 14.6%

Ljubljana

$336 16.2% 27.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.4%

Ljubljana

$185 8.9% 137% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2%

Ljubljana

$75 3.6% 31.4% $18

Getting Around

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8%

Ljubljana

$57 2.8% 322% $44

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 $860 in Waterloo, IA and $1,090 in Ljubljana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterloo, IA pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Waterloo, IA vs $67.0 in Ljubljana. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $302, with Ljubljana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🇸🇮 Ljubljana

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

19:49 7:49 PM

7 h ahead of Waterloo, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,314

285,604 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Waterloo, IA Ljubljana 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Waterloo, IA
Ljubljana

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

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

Waterloo, IA is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Waterloo, IA, 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: $860 in Waterloo, IA versus $1,090 in Ljubljana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,706 in Waterloo, IA versus $658 in Ljubljana. 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 $67.0 in Ljubljana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,795 in Waterloo, IA versus $2,073 in Ljubljana, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Waterloo, IA but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. The gap between the two cities makes Waterloo, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Waterloo, IA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ljubljana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Waterloo, IA and Ljubljana 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 Waterloo, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.