Moving to Iowa from Belgium
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Belgium to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Belgium to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 5.1% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly $71,200 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Iowa cheaper than Belgium?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 18.5% less
Groceries
pay 8.5% more
Transportation
pay 34.9% less
Housing
pay 7.4% more
Childcare
pay 0.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Iowa?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $71,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →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 3% more than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Belgium to Iowa, based on official data.
people moved from Belgium 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
- · · ·
-
120.30,733
Belgium
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Belgium to Iowa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Belgium performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Belgium 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 Belgium across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Belgium performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Iowa vs Belgium
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Belgium to Iowa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium 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.
Belgium passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa FreeData: 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 Belgium?
Yes — Iowa is on average about 5% cheaper than Belgium. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,800 in Iowa on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Usually fine from major cities in Iowa. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Belgium?
Belgium performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
