Cedar Rapids Proves That You Can Live Big and Spend Small
Cedar Rapids, offers all the amenities of major metropolitan areas but without downsides like traffic and a high cost of living. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, Iowa ranks seventh among states with the lowest cost of living. In Cedar Rapids, the average home value is about $208,000 (Zillow, September 2025) – well below the national average.
Taylor Nelson, corporate engagement manager for United Way of East Central Iowa, grew up in Cedar Rapids and recently returned after stints in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. He decided to return to his hometown after graduating from The George Washington University in 2024.
Livability chatted with Nelson about the costs associated with living and working in Cedar Rapids.
How would you describe the community?
Everyone is so kind compared to other places I’ve been; people genuinely care about how you’re doing. The community is vibrant compared to when I left. It’s been seven years, and I’ve seen so much change happen in that short period of time, especially the scale of planning and development.
I appreciate that there is a lot more diversity and acceptance, which you see in organizations, stores and community outlets. It feels like we have a more enriched culture here.
How affordable is rent in Cedar Rapids?
It’s a night and day difference. You get so much more bang for your buck here. It’s really wonderful. In D.C., I had a place that was about 600 square feet that cost me almost $2,500 a month – it’s more expensive than Los Angeles!
Now, I have a place that’s over 700 square feet, has granite countertops and a little patio that opens up to a nice, quiet area. The neighbors are very friendly, and it’s less than half the price of an apartment in D.C.
Where are a few of your favorite places to grocery shop, and what’s your average grocery bill?
One of my favorite places to go is actually a Mediterranean grocery store called Vytyl. I was there yesterday and got four full bags worth of groceries, and it was less than $40. I shop at an Asian market here called Yumei’s Asian Market & Anime, where you can get so much good stuff, like fish sauce that’s hard to find. In D.C., I had to take a train into Virginia and walk 20 minutes just to get to an Asian market where I could get what I wanted. Yumei’s isn’t even a five-minute drive from where I live in Cedar Rapids.
We have Hy-Vee and Fareway, where you can get everything you need, and for a scaled-down version of Costco, try Aldi. My average grocery price is around $100 per week, but I’m also stocking up on a lot of things I won’t need to buy every week.
What is the cost of dinner and drinks for two people and what are some of your go-to places?
I was out for dinner a couple of nights ago with a friend, and we had four plates of sushi and sashimi with tea and that was $37 – I couldn’t even get a meal for one in D.C. for that price.
It depends on the type of place you want to go but you can very easily keep it under $40. I like places like the Black Sheep Social Club; they do a lot of creative things with their food. The Irish Democrat is a solid choice; they have the best onion rings, barbecued wings and a Reuben that kills.
What’s one thing you can afford to do regularly in Cedar Rapids that you might not be able to in a higher cost-of-living city?
Basically everything. I can regularly go out to dinner, I can go to see a movie, I can drive more because gas is more affordable. The overall cost of living is so much better that it just opens up all these new things that you can do.
You can have a good quality of life with some quantity. There’s more bang for your buck here. I was at a place where you could get a can of domestic beer for $3 a can. That would be over $6 in D.C. You can also get from one side of town to the other in less than half an hour.
I relied on public transportation in D.C., and you couldn’t get to three stops in 15 minutes. In L.A., I’d get up in the morning, and it would take me two hours to drive 6 miles during rush hour. You don’t have the smog and pollution, and everyone’s mood is generally better, more relaxed and laid-back.
Get to Know Cedar Rapids
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