Bismarck vs Iowa City leftover
Moving to Iowa City costs you $810 a month
$2,525/mo leftover in Iowa City vs $3,335 in Bismarck after tax and rent ($810 less). −$9,720 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms. Not a cost-of-living index.
Bismarck leftover
$3,335
a month after tax and rent
Iowa City leftover
$2,525
−$810 vs Bismarck
Compare Bismarck to another metro
Same paycheck. Try a different city next to Bismarck.
Monthly gap
Bismarck → Iowa City
$810
less / month in Bismarck
$2,525 in Iowa City · $3,335 in Bismarck · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Home
Only when you tap. We match the nearest metro and don't keep the coordinates.
Destination
−$810 / mo
| Per month | Bismarck | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,917 | $6,553 | −$1,364 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,700 | $1,447 | −$253 |
| Take-home pay | $6,216 | $5,106 | −$1,110 |
| Rent | $1,084 | $911 | −$173 |
| Getting around | $534 | $411 | −$123 |
| Groceries | $348 | $347 | −$1 |
| Healthcare | $392 | $391 | −$1 |
| Utilities | $218 | $217 | −$1 |
| Everything else | $305 | $304 | −$1 |
| Left over | $3,335 | $2,525 | −$810 |
To break even in Iowa City, you'd need to earn
$93,000
Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Bismarck does now.
The tax difference alone
−$1,811
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.5% in Bismarck, 22.1% in Iowa City.
More about Iowa City
Bismarck, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,290 and 196 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
Iowa City, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,085 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Iowa City on Iowa City wages.
Iowa City → Bismarck →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Iowa City than Bismarck?
A one-bedroom is about $1,084 in Bismarck versus $911 in Iowa City. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $810 a month lower in Iowa City. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Iowa City have state income tax?
Iowa City is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Bismarck to Iowa City?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Iowa tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Leftover is take-home after federal, state and city wage tax, minus asking rent at the bedroom count you set, minus a modelled month of groceries, utilities, healthcare, transport and childcare. It is not a cost-of-living index and not a moving quote. The dollar gap between Bismarck and Iowa City moves when you change the job, remote versus local pay, or bedrooms. How the math works · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.