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 | Los Angeles | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $1,153/mo | 55.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $266,700 | 208.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $82,345 | 7.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 105.8 | 94.5 | 12.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 135.7 | 86.7 | 56.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.2 | 94.1 | 9.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.2 | 94.8 | 10.0% higher 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 Los Angeles, you'd need $68,798 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Des Moines, IA is about 31.2% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in West Des Moines than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $55,038 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.