

Iowa City vs Phoenix
$32/mo more in Phoenix
Iowa CityPhoenixAbout 1,256 miles apart, a flight.
- Phoenix leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 299 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,550/mo in Phoenix. $2,518/mo in Iowa City. +$384 a year.
Iowa City
$2,518
left each month
Phoenix
$2,550
+$32 vs Iowa City
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 63 households moved Iowa City → Phoenix (avg AGI $103,095). 36 went the other way. The whole move →
+$32 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Iowa City | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,542 | $7,545 | +$1,003 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,443 | $1,696 | +$253 |
| Take-home pay | $5,099 | $5,849 | +$750 |
| Rent | $911 | $1,277 | +$366 |
| Getting around | $411 | $586 | +$175 |
| Groceries | $347 | $396 | +$49 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $446 | +$55 |
| Utilities | $217 | $248 | +$31 |
| Everything else | $304 | $347 | +$43 |
| Left over | $2,518 | $2,550 | +$32 |
Salary to match Iowa City
$90,000
Gross pay in Phoenix that leaves the same amount as $78,500 in Iowa City.
Tax difference
+$530
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.1% in Iowa City, 22.5% in Phoenix.
More about Phoenix
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.
Phoenix, AZ in full
A 2.5% flat income tax, cheap housing for a big metro, and a genuinely dangerous July.
The other way
Start in Phoenix.
Phoenix → Iowa City →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Phoenix than Iowa City?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Phoenix leaves about $32 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $911 in Iowa City and $1,277 in Phoenix.
Does Phoenix have state income tax?
Phoenix is in Arizona, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Iowa City to Phoenix?
The paycheck is taxed in Arizona. 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 Iowa City and Phoenix 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.