Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Portlaoise

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $1,933 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. The total is higher in Des Moines, IA despite lower rent and utilities.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Portlaoise
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Portlaoise Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Portlaoise

🇮🇪 Ireland

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Moines, IA and in Portlaoise

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Des Moines, IA and in Portlaoise actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,933 in Portlaoise.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Portlaoise $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,068 in Portlaoise.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Portlaoise $3,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Des Moines, IA versus $4,202 in Portlaoise.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Portlaoise $4,202

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 12% more expensive than in Portlaoise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 60% above, Portlaoise 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$18.17 €16.17

8.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$79.7 €70.9

1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$12.17 €10.83

0.41%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.92 €3.49

57.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.14 €1.90

36.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.23 €1.10

108.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$6.66 €5.92

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.47 €4.87

7.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.66 €1.48

-45.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.28 €2.02

32.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.38 €1.22

144.93%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$7.63 €6.79

-47.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.29 €2.04

89.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.19 €1.95

-31.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.21 €1.96

105.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.09 €0.97

181.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$19.76 €17.58

-60.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$4.55 €4.05

-61.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$45.26 €40.26

28.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$6.34 €5.64

-68.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.41 €1.26

-12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$18.80 €16.72

4.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.10 €1.87

-55.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.1K €35.7K

-32.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$32.3K €28.8K

-22.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$185 $185

$236 €210

-21.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.6 $53.6

$34.08 €30.32

57.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$56.0 €49.80

25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$55.6 €49.45

14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$17.06 €15.17

-41.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,187 $1,187

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$5,144 €4,576

132.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$28.08 €24.98

53.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$68.6 €61.0

47.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$1,216 €1,082

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$998 €888

-12.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$2,336 €2,078

-25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$2,140 €1,903

-34.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$2,802 €2,493

30.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

3.5

87.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Portlaoise

$998 51.6% 14.4% $125

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Portlaoise

$112 * 5.8% 67.9% $237

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Portlaoise

$287 14.8% 12.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Portlaoise

$326 16.9% 5.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Portlaoise

$44 * 2.3% 72.3% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Portlaoise

$90 4.6% 7.1% $6

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Portlaoise

$77 4% 5.1% $3.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA and $1,216 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Des Moines, IA vs $80.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $112 per month, with Portlaoise cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇮🇪 Portlaoise

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

6 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

23,494

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Portlaoise 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
Portlaoise

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Des Moines, IA vs Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portlaoise wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Portlaoise the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Des Moines, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,216 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Portlaoise – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Portlaoise runs roughly 28% less than in Des Moines, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,933 in Portlaoise versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Portlaoise but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Portlaoise the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Des Moines, IA and Portlaoise are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Portlaoise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.