Cost of Living: Des Moines, IA vs Philadelphia, PA

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 $4,337/mo in Philadelphia, PA. In the model, rent is about 15.36% of gross in Des Moines, IA versus 19.29% in Philadelphia, PA, so Des Moines, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Des Moines, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Philadelphia, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Des Moines, IA
15.36%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Philadelphia, PA
19.29%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Des Moines, IA: 87.6 (U.S. = 100) · Philadelphia, PA: 95.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Des Moines, IA: $1,002/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Philadelphia, PA: $1,257/mo

Median rent in Philadelphia, PA is $255/mo higher than in Des Moines, IA.

Median Home Price

Des Moines, IA: $183,700 · Philadelphia, PA: $232,400

Median home price in Philadelphia, PA is $48,700 higher than in Des Moines, IA.

Median Household Income

Des Moines, IA: $63,966 · Philadelphia, PA: $60,698

Des Moines, IA has a higher median household income than Philadelphia, PA by $3,268.

Des Moines, IA overview · Philadelphia, PA overview · Popular comparisons