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Des Moines, IA Cost of Living Calculator

Prices in the Des Moines, IA area are 8.3% below the US average, and housing 15.3% below (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.

Prices in an average US city are 9.1% higher than in Des Moines, IA, so $75,000 in Des Moines, IA buys what $81,788 buys in an average US city.

The same living standard in an average US city
$81,788
Prices overall
+9.1%
Housing costs
+18.1%

Des Moines, IA price levels by category (US average = 100)

CategoryPrice levelAgainst the US
All items91.78.3% below
Housing84.715.3% below
Goods93.76.3% below
Utilities84.615.4% below
Other services92.97.1% below

What $75,000 in Des Moines, IA equals in other large metros

Metro areaEquivalent salaryPrices
New York, NY$92,09422.8%
Los Angeles, CA$92,91223.9%
Chicago, IL$84,73313.0%
Dallas, TX$84,32412.4%
Houston, TX$80,6437.5%
Washington, DC$89,06818.8%
Philadelphia, PA$83,91511.9%
Atlanta, GA$81,8709.2%
Miami, FL$93,40224.5%
Phoenix, AZ$84,48712.6%

How this calculator works

BEA regional price parities for the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.

What it assumes

  • Before tax, and averaged across the whole metro area.

Questions people ask

Is Des Moines expensive to live in?

Overall prices are 8.3% below the US average; housing is 15.3% below.

What salary do I need in Des Moines, IA?

To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $68,775. The area's median household income is $85,890.

How much is rent in Des Moines, IA?

The median gross rent (including utilities) is $1,150 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

How does Des Moines, IA compare with New York?

New York prices are 22.8% relative to Des Moines, IA: $75,000 here equals $92,094 there.

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Cost of Living CalculatorWhat salary in another city gives you the same standard of living, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2024 price levels for 193 metro areas.
  • Des Moines, IA Rent Affordability CalculatorThe median rent in the Des Moines, IA area is $1,150 a month including utilities, which takes 16% of the median household income ($85,890). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $46,000 a year.
  • Paycheck CalculatorWhat you take home from each paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax, with 2026 tax rates for every state.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.