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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Chicago skyline
Diego Delso. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Des Moines skyline
Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ). CC BY-SA 2.5. Photo source · License

Chicago vs Des Moines

$484/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
Less leftMore left

ChicagoDes MoinesAbout 306 miles apart, close enough to drive.

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

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,910/mo in Des Moines. $2,426/mo in Chicago. +$5,808 a year.

Chicago

$2,426

left each month

Des Moines

$2,910

+$484 vs Chicago

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Des Moines wins 3 of 4Chicago 1 · ties 0
$6,079Take-home · Chicago$5,739
$1,782Rent · Des Moines$991
$1,871Other bills · Des Moines$1,838
$2,426Left over · Des Moines$2,910

Next

In 2022-2023, 271 households moved Chicago → Des Moines (avg AGI $70,756). 331 went the other way. The whole move →

+$484 / 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 monthChicagoDes Moines
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Des Moines · this breakdownChicago · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Chicago, IL and Des Moines, IA
Per monthChicagoDes MoinesDifference
Gross pay$8,208$7,505−$704
Income and payroll tax$2,130$1,765−$365
Take-home pay$6,079$5,739−$339
Rent$1,782$991−$791
Getting around$392$533+$141
Groceries$408$360−$48
Healthcare$459$405−$54
Utilities$255$225−$30
Everything else$357$315−$42
Left over$2,426$2,910+$484

Salary to match Chicago

$81,500

Gross pay in Des Moines that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.

Tax difference

+$1,871

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.9% in Chicago, 23.5% in Des Moines.

More about Des Moines

Chicago, IL in full

World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.

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 → Chicago →

Questions

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

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Des Moines leaves about $484 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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.