Cost Of Living in Buffalo, IA

Get 300+ Local Insights for Any Address in Buffalo, IA

Get Access to 300+ Local Data Points

A+

11%

Overall NAT. AVG.

2%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

36%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: These cost of living estimates reflect 2026 modeled data using U.S. Census housing inputs and AI-assisted city-level pricing models.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Buffalo	Iowa	National
Cost of living	89	89	100
Groceries	102	97	100
Health care	98	96	100
Housing	64	74	100
Transportation	102	97	100
Utilities	99	95	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	101	95	100
Household Items	102	97	100
Education & Childcare	97	94	100

Does this Area Fit Your Budget?

Know the community before you call it home
Compare multiple areas side by side
Access over 300 data points for any address

GET REPORT →

Homes For Sale In Buffalo, IA

1124 Walnut St

Buffalo, IA

702 Front St

Buffalo, IA

See the Newest Homes For Sale In Buffalo, IA

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Buffalo is equal to the Iowa average
The cost of living in Buffalo is 11% lower than the national average
Buffalo housing is 36% 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 Buffalo

See all the best places to live around Buffalo

Compare Buffalo, IA Cost of Living

Write a review to give others more information about this area.

See all Buffalo poll results

The best places in Iowa

Here are the best places to live in Iowa

See the best places to live in Buffalo

These are the 10 cheapest cities in Iowa

Check out the 10 most dangerous cities in Iowa

Salary Calculator

This is how much you would need to earn in

Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$110,451	$9,204	$2,577	$3,314
Renters	$73,186	$6,099	$1,708	$2,196

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%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Rock Island Arsenal, IL	366	100	0.2%
Oak Grove, IL	445	78	21.6%
Matherville, IL	897	86	13.7%
Panorama Park, IA	217	86	14.2%
Stockton, IA	166	86	13.6%
Buffalo, IA	1,118	89	10.6%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Bronson, FL	1,118	94	6.4%
Muldraugh, KY	1,118	82	17.9%
Ashland Heights, SD	1,118	95	4.9%
Santa Anna, TX	1,118	81	19.4%
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki 84 (Big Trout Lake), ON	1,118	n/a
Buffalo, IA	1,118	89	10.6%