Moving from Des Moines to Oklahoma City
Moving to Oklahoma City costs you $360 a month
−$4,320 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
Oklahoma City leftover
$2,533
−$360 vs Des Moines
| Per month | Des Moines | Oklahoma City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,031 | −$469 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,679 | −$85 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,352 | −$384 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $972 | −$33 |
| Getting around | $533 | $542 | +$9 |
| Groceries | $360 | $360 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $405 | $0 |
| Utilities | $225 | $225 | $0 |
| Everything else | $315 | $315 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,533 | −$360 |
To break even in Oklahoma City, you'd need to earn
$91,000
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
−$652
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 23.9% in Oklahoma City.
More about Oklahoma City
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Oklahoma City, OK in full
The cheapest housing of any metro over a million people.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Oklahoma City on Oklahoma City wages.
Oklahoma City → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Oklahoma City than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $972 in Oklahoma City. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $360 a month lower in Oklahoma City. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Oklahoma City have state income tax?
Oklahoma City is in Oklahoma, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Oklahoma City?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Oklahoma 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.