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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Boston skyline
King of Hearts. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Iowa City skyline
American007 at English Wikipedia. Public domain. Photo source · License

Boston vs Iowa City

$577/mo more in Iowa City

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
Less leftMore left

BostonIowa CityAbout 1,058 miles apart, a flight.

  • Iowa City leaves you more
  • Property tax 1.54%
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,527/mo in Iowa City. $1,950/mo in Boston. +$6,924 a year.

Boston

$1,950

left each month

Iowa City

$2,527

+$577 vs Boston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Iowa City wins 3 of 4Boston 1 · ties 0
$6,626Take-home · Boston$5,108
$2,549Rent · Iowa City$911
$2,127Other bills · Iowa City$1,670
$1,950Left over · Iowa City$2,527

Next

+$577 / 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 monthBostonIowa City
Less leftMore left
Iowa City · this breakdownBoston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Boston, MA and Iowa City, IA
Per monthBostonIowa CityDifference
Gross pay$9,042$6,555−$2,486
Income and payroll tax$2,416$1,448−$968
Take-home pay$6,626$5,108−$1,518
Rent$2,549$911−$1,638
Getting around$445$411−$34
Groceries$464$347−$117
Healthcare$522$391−$131
Utilities$290$217−$73
Everything else$406$304−$102
Left over$1,950$2,527+$577

Salary to match Boston

$68,500

Gross pay in Iowa City that leaves the same amount as $108,500 in Boston.

Tax difference

+$2,771

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.7% in Boston, 22.1% in Iowa City.

More about Iowa City

Boston, MA in full

Great pay in medicine and research, brutal winters, tight housing stock.

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 other way

Start in Iowa City.

Iowa City → Boston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Iowa City than Boston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Iowa City leaves about $577 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,549 in Boston and $911 in Iowa City.

Does Iowa City have state income tax?

Iowa City is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Boston to Iowa City?

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 Boston and Iowa City 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.