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

Des Moines vs Kansas City

$298/mo less in Kansas 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
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Des MoinesKansas CityAbout 186 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Kansas City costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,609/mo in Kansas City. $2,907/mo in Des Moines. −$3,576 a year.

Des Moines

$2,907

left each month

Kansas City

$2,609

−$298 vs Des Moines

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Kansas City wins 0 of 4Des Moines 4 · ties 0
$5,736Take-home · Des Moines$5,675
$991Rent · Des Moines$1,167
$1,838Other bills · Des Moines$1,899
$2,907Left over · Des Moines$2,609

Next

In 2022-2023, 176 households moved Des Moines → Kansas City (avg AGI $83,631). 163 went the other way. The whole move →

−$298 / 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 MoinesKansas City
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Kansas City · this breakdownDes Moines · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Des Moines, IA and Kansas City, MO
Per monthDes MoinesKansas CityDifference
Gross pay$7,500$7,578+$78
Income and payroll tax$1,764$1,903+$139
Take-home pay$5,736$5,675−$61
Rent$991$1,167+$176
Getting around$533$551+$18
Groceries$360$372+$12
Healthcare$405$419+$14
Utilities$225$233+$8
Everything else$315$326+$11
Left over$2,907$2,609−$298

Salary to match Des Moines

$96,500

Gross pay in Kansas City that leaves the same amount as $90,000 in Des Moines.

Tax difference

−$1,391

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 25.1% in Kansas City.

More about Kansas City

Des Moines, IA in full

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

Kansas City, MO in full

Genuinely low cost of living for a metro with real amenities.

The other way

Start in Kansas City.

Kansas City → Des Moines →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Kansas City than Des Moines?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Kansas City leaves about $298 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $991 in Des Moines and $1,167 in Kansas City.

Does Kansas City have state income tax?

Kansas City is in Missouri, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.

What changes if you move from Des Moines to Kansas City?

The paycheck is taxed in Missouri. 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 Des Moines and Kansas 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.