City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chicago | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $995/mo | 32.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $170,700 | 78.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $62,378 | 14.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 96.3 | 0.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 91.7 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 96.9 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.1 | 1.7% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $75,721 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines, IA is about 24.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Des Moines than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $60,577 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.