Moving from Des Moines to Salt Lake City
Moving to Salt Lake City costs you $329 a month
−$3,948 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
Salt Lake City leftover
$2,564
−$329 vs Des Moines
36 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Des Moines | Salt Lake City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,734 | +$234 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,946 | +$183 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,788 | +$52 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,269 | +$264 |
| Getting around | $533 | $519 | −$14 |
| Groceries | $360 | $396 | +$36 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $446 | +$41 |
| Utilities | $225 | $248 | +$23 |
| Everything else | $315 | $347 | +$32 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,564 | −$329 |
To break even in Salt Lake City, you'd need to earn
$99,000
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
−$1,358
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 25.2% in Salt Lake City.
More about Salt Lake City
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Salt Lake City, UT in full
Four ski resorts inside an hour and a 23-minute average commute.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Salt Lake City on Salt Lake City wages.
Salt Lake City → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Salt Lake City than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,269 in Salt Lake City. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $329 a month lower in Salt Lake City. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Salt Lake City have state income tax?
Salt Lake City is in Utah, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Salt Lake City?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Utah 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.