US big cities are expensive, but there are plenty of places in the US that you haven't visited that are quite affordable to live in. You can't judge the whole US by NY, LA, and Chicago.
Sure, but almost none are nearly as affordable as the parent poster's example.
"Hamburg - Apartment, 1 Bedroom, City Centre - $823/month"
I'm in the so-called "affordable" Midwest, and there's not a single apartment even remotely close to that price, in any city anywhere within 400 miles here. In Michigan, for example, that same apartment will cost at least $1,200/month. This is true despite the fact that our average income is roughly identical to what Numbeo lists for Hamburg.
The right comparison for Wichita is an equally provincial mid-sized town in Germany, say Halle an der Saale. And I'd wager rents get quite similar again, if not cheaper in Germany...
1 City centre bedroom + utilities $1120
The same in Kiel (pop 240k) $810
Dresden (pop 540k): $770
I'd assume only Berlin and Munich will have prices like Hamburg
I am in the definitely unaffordable Bay Area, and you don't have to go 400 miles to rent a 1 bd apt for under $800. Its not going to be in a desirable city and probably not a very nice apt, but they certainly exist. Literally the first listing I found on craigslist was $775 (in Modesto, about an 80 mile drive to San Jose).
That's what the comparison is though, it's using "city center" apartments, apartments inside urban areas. Of which, there aren't any anywhere near that price, in almost any city in the US. (Even somewhere like Detroit).
If you want to look at crappy apartments way outside of town, the comparison still holds up:
> Dresden - Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre - $392/month USD
That "affordable" Modesto apartment is still about 2X the cost of a comparable unit.
Health insurance and healthcare in some areas, specifically rural or remote, is extremely expensive and noncompetitive. Just like ISPs, some areas just have ONE insurer!
In response to the parent comment, the reason it's largely escaped these effects is that the economy is anchored in insurance and financial services rather than manufacturing.
There's also a big ag-tech sector and growing bio-tech industry if you include Ames which is a university town about 30 miles North.
Growing, thriving cities like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix, Minneapolis, etc. are all relatively inexpensive. As are numerous smaller cities like Nashville, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, etc.
The median price to purchase a home in America is ~$240k IIRC, hardly expensive.