

New York vs Waterloo
$1,519/mo more in Waterloo
New YorkWaterlooAbout 970 miles apart, a flight.
- Waterloo leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,761/mo in Waterloo. $1,242/mo in New York. +$18,228 a year.
New York
$1,242
left each month
Waterloo
$2,761
+$1,519 vs New York
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$1,519 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | New York | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $9,292 | $6,871 | −$2,420 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,886 | $1,553 | −$1,333 |
| Take-home pay | $6,405 | $5,318 | −$1,087 |
| Rent | $3,018 | $788 | −$2,230 |
| Getting around | $347 | $510 | +$163 |
| Groceries | $496 | $347 | −$149 |
| Healthcare | $558 | $391 | −$167 |
| Utilities | $310 | $217 | −$93 |
| Everything else | $434 | $304 | −$130 |
| Left over | $1,242 | $2,761 | +$1,519 |
Salary to match New York
$56,000
Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $111,500 in New York.
Tax difference
+$7,385
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 31.1% in New York, 22.6% in Waterloo.
More about Waterloo
New York, NY in full
The one place where skipping a car genuinely offsets the rent.
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 → New York →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than New York?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Waterloo leaves about $1,519 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $3,018 in New York and $788 in Waterloo.
Does Waterloo have state income tax?
Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from New York 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 New York 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.