Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Des Moines, IA: $2,299 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,299 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

Des Moines, IA $2,299
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Des Moines, IA versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

Des Moines, IA $3,459
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,618 in Des Moines, IA versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

Des Moines, IA $4,618
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in Des Moines, IA costs roughly 39% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 70% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$23.80 $23.80

-16.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$98.6 $98.6

3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$14.94 $14.94

-21.02%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.79 $6.79

-3.68%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.23 $3.23

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.15 $3.15

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$8.21 $8.21

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$7.87 $7.87

-28.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.17 $1.17

-26.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.29 $5.29

-43.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$5.76 $5.76

-43.75%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$4.89 $4.89

-20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$20.25 $20.25

-53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$17.95 $17.95

-4.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$23.35 $23.35

-19.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.94 $5.94

-11.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.89 $1.89

-19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.35 $5.35

-8.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$6.57 $6.57

-43.53%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.39 $3.39

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.88 $2.88

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.89 $2.89

-4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.43 $2.43

25.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$12.18 $12.18

-16.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$15.24 $15.24

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$4.38 $4.38

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.89 $5.89

-50.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.96 $2.96

-42.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$109 $109

-47.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.52 $2.52

-21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.72 $1.72

-27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 $19.83

$29.70 $29.70

-33.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.51 $1.51

-33.11%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$36.2K $36.2K

-25.70%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-0.57%

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

$191 $191

$289 $289

-33.81%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$69.1 $69.1

-23.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$84.8 $84.8

-8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 $33.80

$69.4 $69.4

-51.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 $20.24

$35.05 $35.05

-42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 $9.86

$17.97 $17.97

-45.13%

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

$1,313 $1,313

$2,819 $2,819

-53.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$43.9K $43.9K

-66.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$91.2 $91.2

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$55.1 $55.1

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$127 $127

-19.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$162 $162

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 $1,218

$2,579 $2,579

-52.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 $918

$1,943 $1,943

-52.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$5,100 $5,100

-59.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 $1,422

$3,541 $3,541

-59.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$7,357 $7,357

-67.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,262 $2,262

$4,921 $4,921

-54.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,788 $3,788

$6,448 $6,448

-41.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.8

-3.38%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$918 40%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 112% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 29.3% $123

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 20.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$321 14%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 37.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 8.5% $15

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 81.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 96.9% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in Des Moines, IA and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 70% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Des Moines, IA vs $99 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $421 vs $544, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

2 h behind Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Seattle, WA 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Moines, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Des Moines, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Des Moines, IA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,218 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $99 versus $102 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,299 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – Des Moines, IA is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Des Moines, IA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Des Moines, IA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.