City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Iowa City | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,077/mo | $1,714/mo | 37.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $256,600 | $732,100 | 65.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,879 | $76,607 | 28.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 108.1 | 12.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 86.1 | 133.1 | 35.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 104.3 | 9.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 104.1 | 8.9% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Iowa City, you'd need $139,380 in New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 28.3% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% lower in Iowa City than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in Iowa City, you'd need about $111,504 in New York to keep the same standard of living.