Cost comparison
Compare Cities
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Dubuque salary needed$43,173
Des Moines salary needed$59,280
Des Moines rent difference+$118
Des Moines score difference-5
Iowa
Dubuque
Dubuque is a supplemental starter city profile for the river city jobs and affordability market in Iowa, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
- Median rent: $1,100
- Home price: $247,450
- Salary needed: $43,173
- Move score: 88/100
Iowa
Des Moines
Des Moines is the state-capital insurance and job market in Iowa, promoted in source-ready batch 03 for comparisons around housing, wages, utilities, taxes, benefits, and moving costs.
- Median rent: $1,218
- Home price: $271,400
- Salary needed: $59,280
- Move score: 83/100
Comparison
Dubuque vs Des Moines
Dubuque has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Dubuque has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Des Moines minus Dubuque.
| Metric | Dubuque | Des Moines | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|
| Median rent | $1,100 | $1,218 | +$118 | Dubuque | Dubuque has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $247,450 | $271,400 | +$23,950 | Dubuque | Dubuque has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $181/mo | $162/mo | -$19/mo | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 99 | 94 | -5 | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $43,173 | $59,280 | +$16,107 | Dubuque | Dubuque has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 88/100 | 83/100 | -5 | Dubuque | Dubuque has the higher move score. |