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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Anchorage skyline
Bryan Price. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License
Downtown Waterloo Iowa
Stephen Cummings. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

Anchorage vs Waterloo

Same amount left over

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
Less leftMore left

AnchorageWaterlooAbout 2,650 miles apart, a flight.

  • Same amount left
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,760/mo in Waterloo. $2,760/mo in Anchorage. $0 a year.

Anchorage

$2,760

left each month

Waterloo

$2,760

same as origin

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Waterloo wins 2 of 4Anchorage 1 · ties 1
$6,444Take-home · Anchorage$5,317
$1,392Rent · Waterloo$788
$2,292Other bills · Waterloo$1,769
$2,760Left over$2,760

Next

$0 / 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 monthWaterloo
Less leftMore left
Waterloo · this breakdownAnchorage · homeAnchorage, AK sits outside this lower-48 frame.
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Anchorage, AK and Waterloo, IA
Per monthAnchorageWaterlooDifference
Gross pay$8,167$6,871−$1,296
Income and payroll tax$1,723$1,553−$169
Take-home pay$6,444$5,317−$1,127
Rent$1,392$788−$604
Getting around$636$510−$126
Groceries$457$347−$110
Healthcare$514$391−$123
Utilities$286$217−$69
Everything else$400$304−$96
Left over$2,760$2,760$0

Salary to match Anchorage

$82,500

Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $98,000 in Anchorage.

Tax difference

−$2,578

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.1% in Anchorage, 22.6% in Waterloo.

More about Waterloo

Anchorage, AK in full

No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,657 and 138 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

Waterloo, IA in full

A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $938 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.

The other way

Start in Waterloo.

Waterloo → Anchorage →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than Anchorage?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, the amount left over is about the same in both cities. A one-bedroom is about $1,392 in Anchorage and $788 in Waterloo.

Does Waterloo have state income tax?

Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Anchorage to Waterloo?

The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. 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 Anchorage and Waterloo 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.