Cost of Living in Alta, IA

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17%
Overall NAT. AVG.
8%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
39%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Alta Iowa National
Cost of living8388100
Goods & Services9394100
Groceries9697100
Health care10496100
Housing6174100
Transportation8999100
Utilities8488100
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Homes For Sale In Alta, IA

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121 Division St

Alta, IA
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1301 Peterson St

Alta, IA
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602 Buena Vista St

Alta, IA
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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Alta is 7% lower than the Iowa average
  • The cost of living in Alta is 17% lower than the national average
  • Alta housing is 39% lower than the national average
  • Iowa general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average
  • Iowa state income tax is 69% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Alta

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Compare Alta, IA Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$89,734$7,478$2,094$2,692
      Renters$68,525$5,710$1,599$2,056

      Iowa Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Iowa 6% 7%

      Iowa Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Iowa 4.4% 6%

      Goods & Services

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      Haircut $41.72$27.6251.1%
      Beauty Salon $34.85$51.1131.8%
      Toothpaste $4.04$4.091.3%
      Shampoo $1.51$1.542.1%
      Movie $9.93$12.8822.9%
      Yoga $17.37$19.6611.7%

      Groceries

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.65$7.700.7%
      Fried Chicken $1.54$1.667.4%
      Milk $4.64$4.732.0%
      Potatoes $5.11$5.262.8%
      Pizza $11.87$12.767.0%
      Beer $9.31$10.5511.7%

      Health Care

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $196.68$140.0640.4%
      Doctor $192.21$153.8225.0%
      Dentist $116.03$123.155.8%
      Ibuprofen $11.81$11.730.7%
      Lipitor $19.23$23.6118.6%

      Housing

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      Home Price $176,363.00$326,622.0046.0%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $1,964.40$2,480.2520.8%
      Apartment Rent $1,097.00$1,444.0024.0%

      Transportation

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $2.70$3.0611.8%
      Tire Balancing $58.97$65.219.6%

      Utilities

      Item Alta National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $161.54$220.1226.6%
      Phone $200.12$195.712.3%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Larrabee, IA1457327.3%
      Truesdale, IA1167921.4%
      Rembrandt, IA1807524.8%
      Nemaha, IA1357920.6%
      Galva, IA4367723.1%
      Alta, IA2,0468317.4%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Liberty, KY2,0468416.0%
      Saint Mary, NB2,046n/a 
      Saint-Nazaire, QC2,046n/a 
      Morris, AL2,0451011.1%
      Old Saybrook Center, CT2,04713837.9%
      Alta, IA2,0468317.4%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
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