Moving from Des Moines to Tampa
Moving to Tampa costs you $590 a month
−$7,080 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
Tampa leftover
$2,303
−$590 vs Des Moines
In 2022-2023, 59 households moved Des Moines → Tampa (avg AGI $79,169). 48 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Des Moines | Tampa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,344 | −$156 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,479 | −$285 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,865 | +$129 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,520 | +$515 |
| Getting around | $533 | $592 | +$59 |
| Groceries | $360 | $400 | +$40 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $450 | +$45 |
| Utilities | $225 | $250 | +$25 |
| Everything else | $315 | $350 | +$35 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,303 | −$590 |
To break even in Tampa, you'd need to earn
$98,000
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
+$2,865
A year, in state and local income tax. Florida has no wage income tax.
More about Tampa
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Tampa, FL in full
No income tax and beaches, but insurance costs are the hidden line item.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Tampa on Tampa wages.
Tampa → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Tampa than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,520 in Tampa. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $590 a month lower in Tampa. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Tampa have state income tax?
Tampa is in Florida, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Tampa?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Florida 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.