Moving from Des Moines to Baltimore
Moving to Baltimore costs you $484 a month
−$5,808 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Des Moines leftover
$2,893
a month after tax and rent
Baltimore leftover
$2,409
−$484 vs Des Moines
| Per month | Des Moines | Baltimore | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $8,281 | +$781 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $2,400 | +$637 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,881 | +$144 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,511 | +$506 |
| Getting around | $533 | $482 | −$51 |
| Groceries | $360 | $408 | +$48 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $459 | +$54 |
| Utilities | $225 | $255 | +$30 |
| Everything else | $315 | $357 | +$42 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,409 | −$484 |
To break even in Baltimore, you'd need to earn
$108,500
Household gross, versus $90,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Des Moines does now.
The tax difference alone
−$4,861
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 29.0% in Baltimore.
More about Baltimore
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Baltimore, MD in full
DC salaries within commuting distance, at Baltimore prices.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Baltimore on Baltimore wages.
Baltimore → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Baltimore than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,511 in Baltimore. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $484 a month lower in Baltimore. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Baltimore have state income tax?
Baltimore is in Maryland, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.20%.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Baltimore?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Maryland 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.
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.