Ames

Cost of Living in Ames, IA (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$2,950 left/mo

Photo: Raivena / Wikimedia

$2,476/mo in Ames. $2,950 left each month. Prices 13% below the US average.

Pick a home city How we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,426/mo.

Taxes$1,552
Rent$760
Other$1,716
Left$2,950

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $83,730
Federal income tax: −$9,591
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,405
State income tax (IA): −$2,627
Take-home pay: $65,107
Effective tax rate: 22.2%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $760
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $457
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,476

After tax and rent

$2,950 left/mo

Stats

Rent: $905; 2 bd median
Take-home: $5,426; Per month
Tax: 22%; Of pay
Prices: 13% below; US, besides rent

Average electric bill in Iowa

About $123 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for Iowa in 2025, 13.62¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Ames utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Moving from Ames

Moving from Ames to Des Moines