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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Anchorage skyline
Bryan Price. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License
Des Moines skyline
Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ). CC BY-SA 2.5. Photo source · License

Anchorage vs Des Moines

$144/mo more in Des Moines

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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AnchorageDes MoinesAbout 2,661 miles apart, a flight.

  • Des Moines leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,904/mo in Des Moines. $2,760/mo in Anchorage. +$1,728 a year.

Anchorage

$2,760

left each month

Des Moines

$2,904

+$144 vs Anchorage

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Des Moines wins 3 of 4Anchorage 1 · ties 0
$6,444Take-home · Anchorage$5,733
$1,392Rent · Des Moines$991
$2,292Other bills · Des Moines$1,838
$2,760Left over · Des Moines$2,904

Next

+$144 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthDes Moines
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Des Moines · this breakdownAnchorage · homeAnchorage, AK sits outside this lower-48 frame.
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Anchorage, AK and Des Moines, IA
Per monthAnchorageDes MoinesDifference
Gross pay$8,167$7,495−$671
Income and payroll tax$1,723$1,762+$40
Take-home pay$6,444$5,733−$711
Rent$1,392$991−$401
Getting around$636$533−$103
Groceries$457$360−$97
Healthcare$514$405−$109
Utilities$286$225−$61
Everything else$400$315−$85
Left over$2,760$2,904+$144

Salary to match Anchorage

$87,500

Gross pay in Des Moines that leaves the same amount as $98,000 in Anchorage.

Tax difference

−$2,863

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.1% in Anchorage, 23.5% in Des Moines.

More about Des Moines

Anchorage, AK in full

No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,657 and 138 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

Des Moines, IA in full

Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.

The other way

Start in Des Moines.

Des Moines → Anchorage →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Des Moines than Anchorage?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Des Moines leaves about $144 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,392 in Anchorage and $991 in Des Moines.

Does Des Moines have state income tax?

Des Moines is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Anchorage to Des Moines?

The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Anchorage and Des Moines changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.