Moving to Iowa from Canada
What to Expect
Considering a move from Canada to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Canada to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 8.6% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,234 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $65,263 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Canada and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,234 → $65,263
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.5% more
Groceries
pay 1.7% less
Transportation
pay 15.5% less
Housing
pay 2.1% less
Childcare
pay 58.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.3% 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.
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 1% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Canada to Iowa.
people moved from Canada 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
- · · ·
-
13.793,897
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Canada.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Canada performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Canada 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Canada 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 | Ottawa | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting United States
Visa Free
United States passport holder visiting Canada
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 Canada?
On average Iowa is about 13% less expensive than Canada, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $16,316 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a CA$106,234 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 Canada and Iowa are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Canada?
Canada performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
