Fargo vs Iowa City leftover
Moving to Iowa City costs you $667 a month
$2,523/mo leftover in Iowa City vs $3,190 in Fargo after tax and rent ($667 less). −$8,004 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms. Not a cost-of-living index.
Fargo leftover
$3,190
a month after tax and rent
Iowa City leftover
$2,523
−$667 vs Fargo
Compare Fargo to another metro
Same paycheck. Try a different city next to Fargo.
Monthly gap
Fargo → Iowa City
$667
less / month in Fargo
$2,523 in Iowa City · $3,190 in Fargo · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Home
Only when you tap. We match the nearest metro and don't keep the coordinates.
Destination
−$667 / mo
| Per month | Fargo | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,375 | $6,550 | −$825 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,529 | $1,446 | −$83 |
| Take-home pay | $5,846 | $5,104 | −$742 |
| Rent | $885 | $911 | +$26 |
| Getting around | $505 | $411 | −$94 |
| Groceries | $349 | $347 | −$2 |
| Healthcare | $393 | $391 | −$2 |
| Utilities | $218 | $217 | −$1 |
| Everything else | $306 | $304 | −$2 |
| Left over | $3,190 | $2,523 | −$667 |
To break even in Iowa City, you'd need to earn
$90,500
Household gross, versus $88,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Fargo does now.
The tax difference alone
−$1,936
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.7% in Fargo, 22.1% in Iowa City.
More about Iowa City
Fargo, ND in full
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,054 and 193 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
Iowa City, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,085 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Iowa City on Iowa City wages.
Iowa City → Fargo →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Iowa City than Fargo?
A one-bedroom is about $885 in Fargo versus $911 in Iowa City. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $667 a month lower in Iowa City. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Iowa City have state income tax?
Iowa City is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Fargo to Iowa City?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Iowa 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.
Leftover is take-home after federal, state and city wage tax, minus asking rent at the bedroom count you set, minus a modelled month of groceries, utilities, healthcare, transport and childcare. It is not a cost-of-living index and not a moving quote. The dollar gap between Fargo and Iowa City moves when you change the job, remote versus local pay, or bedrooms. How the math works · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
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.