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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Des Moines skyline
Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ). CC BY-SA 2.5. Photo source · License
Grand Forks
Tuey from Flickr. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

Des Moines vs Grand Forks

$54/mo less in Grand Forks

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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Des MoinesGrand ForksAbout 458 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Grand Forks costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,853/mo in Grand Forks. $2,907/mo in Des Moines. −$648 a year.

Des Moines

$2,907

left each month

Grand Forks

$2,853

−$54 vs Des Moines

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Grand Forks wins 2 of 4Des Moines 2 · ties 0
$5,736Take-home · Des Moines$5,568
$991Rent · Grand Forks$924
$1,838Other bills · Grand Forks$1,791
$2,907Left over · Des Moines$2,853

Next

−$54 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthDes MoinesGrand Forks
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Grand Forks · this breakdownDes Moines · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Des Moines, IA and Grand Forks, ND
Per monthDes MoinesGrand ForksDifference
Gross pay$7,500$6,969−$531
Income and payroll tax$1,764$1,401−$363
Take-home pay$5,736$5,568−$168
Rent$991$924−$67
Getting around$533$525−$8
Groceries$360$349−$11
Healthcare$405$393−$12
Utilities$225$218−$7
Everything else$315$306−$9
Left over$2,907$2,853−$54

Salary to match Des Moines

$84,500

Gross pay in Grand Forks that leaves the same amount as $90,000 in Des Moines.

Tax difference

+$2,464

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 20.1% in Grand Forks.

More about Grand Forks

Des Moines, IA in full

Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.

Grand Forks, ND in full

State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,100 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.

The other way

Start in Grand Forks.

Grand Forks → Des Moines →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Grand Forks than Des Moines?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Grand Forks leaves about $54 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $991 in Des Moines and $924 in Grand Forks.

Does Grand Forks have state income tax?

Grand Forks is in North Dakota, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Des Moines to Grand Forks?

The paycheck is taxed in North Dakota. 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 Grand Forks 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.