2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Federal Way, WA vs Ames, IA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Ames or is it cheaper to live in Federal Way?
- Ames is 44.6% less expensive than Federal Way.

Which city has more affordable housing, Ames or Federal Way?
- Ames housing costs are 49.9% less expensive than Federal Way housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Federal Way or is Health Care more affordable in Ames.
- Health related expenses are 37.0% more in Ames.
 Federal Way, WAAmes, IAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock87.6100
 Food & Groceries101.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock120.8100
 Housing176.7  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$239,100$338,100
 Utilities71  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock67.2100
 Miscellaneous150.6  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Federal Way    14 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

A suburb of The Emerald City (Seattle, WA), Federal Way has become yet another go-to place for affluent travelers and transplants from states all over the nation. The  More

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I want to move my family to austin i havent bin there but we want some ware housing is affortable i have four boys age 6,3,2 and a baby of 2 months and ware theres jobs  More

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I have lived in Brooklyn NY, West Palm Beach & Port St Lucie, FL and now Federal Way, WA. While the cost of living here is higher than Florida, it is definitely lower  More

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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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