Cost of Living: Des Moines, IA vs Brownsville, TX

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,184/mo in Des Moines, IA versus $4,516/mo in Brownsville, TX. In the model, rent is about 15.36% of gross in Des Moines, IA versus 13.1% in Brownsville, TX, so Brownsville, TX tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Des Moines, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Brownsville, TX
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Des Moines, IA
15.36%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Brownsville, TX
13.1%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Des Moines, IA and Brownsville, TX.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Brownsville, TX
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Brownsville, TX
  • Lower home prices: Brownsville, TX
  • Higher median household income: Des Moines, IA

Cost of Living Index

Des Moines, IA: 87.6 (U.S. = 100) · Brownsville, TX: 79.8 (U.S. = 100)

Brownsville, TX has a lower cost-of-living index than Des Moines, IA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Des Moines, IA: $1,002/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Brownsville, TX: $854/mo

Median rent in Des Moines, IA is $148/mo higher than in Brownsville, TX.

Median Home Price

Des Moines, IA: $183,700 · Brownsville, TX: $120,000

Median home price in Des Moines, IA is $63,700 higher than in Brownsville, TX.

Median Household Income

Des Moines, IA: $63,966 · Brownsville, TX: $51,334

Des Moines, IA has a higher median household income than Brownsville, TX by $12,632.

Des Moines, IA overview · Brownsville, TX overview · Popular comparisons