

Des Moines vs Lubbock
$302/mo less in Lubbock
Des MoinesLubbockAbout 715 miles apart, a flight.
- Lubbock costs you more
- No state income tax
- Property tax 1.53%
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,605/mo in Lubbock. $2,907/mo in Des Moines. −$3,624 a year.
Des Moines
$2,907
left each month
Lubbock
$2,605
−$302 vs Des Moines
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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−$302 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Des Moines | Lubbock | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $6,539 | −$961 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,240 | −$524 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,299 | −$437 |
| Rent | $991 | $817 | −$174 |
| Getting around | $533 | $561 | +$28 |
| Groceries | $360 | $363 | +$3 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $408 | +$3 |
| Utilities | $225 | $227 | +$2 |
| Everything else | $315 | $317 | +$2 |
| Left over | $2,907 | $2,605 | −$302 |
Salary to match Des Moines
$83,500
Gross pay in Lubbock that leaves the same amount as $90,000 in Des Moines.
Tax difference
+$2,865
A year, in state and local income tax. Texas has no wage income tax.
More about Lubbock
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Lubbock, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $973 and 262 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
The other way
Start in Lubbock.
Lubbock → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Lubbock than Des Moines?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Lubbock leaves about $302 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $991 in Des Moines and $817 in Lubbock.
Does Lubbock have state income tax?
Lubbock is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Lubbock?
The paycheck is taxed in Texas. 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 Lubbock 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.