2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Ames, IA vs Grand Forks, ND

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Grand Forks or is it cheaper to live in Ames?
- Grand Forks is 3.0% less expensive than Ames.

Which city has more affordable housing, Grand Forks or Ames?
- Grand Forks housing costs are 12.8% less expensive than Ames housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Ames or is Health Care more affordable in Grand Forks.
- Health related expenses are 10.3% less in Grand Forks.
 Ames, IAGrand Forks, NDUnited States
 Overall  Unlock85.0100
 Food & Groceries97.3  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock108.3100
 Housing88.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$240,100$338,100
 Utilities99  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock68.0100
 Miscellaneous114.1  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

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Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

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Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

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Reviews for Grand Forks    21 Reviews

I lived here for about a year and I can't say many good things about it. I'll start with the positives, it has low crime rate and stores are all close by. Negatives  More

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Over 8 years ago

I am a black male and recently moved to the area do to a job offer. For the most part the people are friendly. However if you are black be prepared to give an  More

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Over 12 years ago

If you try to get a job here, please know that there is a strong culture of support for bullying and verbal abuse. The HR department openly supports and assists  More

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