Moving to Iowa from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 5.0% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $63,544 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,021 → $63,544
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.0% less
Groceries
pay 6.1% more
Transportation
pay 25.1% less
Housing
pay 0.6% less
Childcare
pay 7.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Iowa cost about 5% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Iowa.
people moved from Australia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
63.103,446
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Australia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa performs significantly better than Australia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Australia?
On average Iowa is about 15% less expensive than Australia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $15,886 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a A$107,021 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
From major Iowa cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Iowa are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
Both Australia and Iowa share the same official language: English.
