Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Des Moines, IA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Des Moines, IA is 25.8% lower than in Chicago, IL (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Des Moines, IA is 35.7% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in Des Moines, IA are 52.8% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in Des Moines, IA are 27.4% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in Des Moines, IA are 30.7% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Des Moines, IA is 23.6% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 17.00 $ | -32.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 70.00 $ | -30.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 11.75 $ | 10.00 $ | -14.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 5.00 $ | -37.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.75 $ | 5.50 $ | -37.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.27 $ | 4.37 $ | -17.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.05 $ | 2.35 $ | -23.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.44 $ | 2.07 $ | -15.2 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.13 $ | 3.92 $ | -4.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.86 $ | 2.60 $ | -32.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.72 $ | 1.50 $ | -45.1 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.90 $ | 3.10 $ | -20.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.34 $ | 5.43 $ | -26.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.82 $ | 4.74 $ | -30.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.87 $ | 6.22 $ | -29.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.45 $ | 2.12 $ | -13.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.91 $ | 0.71 $ | -21.9 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.20 $ | 1.59 $ | -27.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.28 $ | 1.74 $ | -23.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.17 $ | 0.75 $ | -36.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.39 $ | 1.36 $ | -1.6 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.39 $ | 2.20 $ | -8.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.87 $ | 1.10 $ | -61.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 14.50 $ | 14.00 $ | -3.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.70 $ | 1.73 $ | -35.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.93 $ | 3.96 $ | +0.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.94 $ | 7.14 $ | -57.8 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 1.75 $ | -30.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | 58.00 $ | -22.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 2.00 $ | -38.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 2.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 20.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.20 $ | 3.12 $ | -25.7 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,000.00 $ | 26,000.00 $ | -23.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,998.12 $ | 24,437.64 $ | -9.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 165.31 $ | 150.60 $ | -8.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 55.12 $ | 48.75 $ | -11.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 56.61 $ | 54.54 $ | -3.6 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 74.65 $ | 66.67 $ | -10.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 19.57 $ | 20.00 $ | +2.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,475.00 $ | 1,332.12 $ | -46.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 42,300.00 $ | 11,812.00 $ | -72.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.12 $ | 51.88 $ | -21.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 51.79 $ | 42.50 $ | -17.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 96.92 $ | 88.11 $ | -9.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 145.71 $ | 137.14 $ | -5.9 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,373.57 $ | 1,215.00 $ | -48.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,512.42 $ | 912.50 $ | -39.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,536.36 $ | 1,750.00 $ | -61.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,925.00 $ | 1,480.00 $ | -49.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 464.00 $ | 201.80 $ | -56.5 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 423.33 $ | 201.80 $ | -52.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
Des Moines, IA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,802.07 $ | 3,819.87 $ | -20.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.81 | 6.61 | -3.1 % |
| Last update: | October 2024 | October 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 264 | 31 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to Des Moines, IA? Explore:
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Schaumburg, Illinois | 30.60 miles |
Cities near Des Moines, IA: | Cost of Living in Iowa City, Iowa | 113.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in Omaha, Nebraska | 135.58 miles |
| Cost of Living in Oelwein, Iowa | 166.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in Davenport, Iowa | 167.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rock Island, Illinois | 172.54 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lincoln, Nebraska | 191.89 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kansas City, Missouri | 193.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Leawood, Kansas | 207.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paola, Kansas | 239.25 miles |
| Cost of Living in Minneapolis, Minnesota | 244.46 miles |