Moving to Iowa from France
What to Expect
Considering a move from France to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from France to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 6.6% more expensive than France overall. A €65,374 salary in France would need to be roughly $64,799 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between France and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
€65,374 → $64,799
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.1% less
Groceries
pay 1.6% more
Transportation
pay 35.0% less
Housing
pay 36.9% more
Childcare
pay 65.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.1% 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% more than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from France to Iowa.
people moved from France 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
- · · ·
-
47.162,365
France
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to France.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
France performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs significantly better than France 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 France across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
France 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 | Paris | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Météo-France
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France 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.
France passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting France
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 France?
On average Iowa is about 14% less expensive than France, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $16,200 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a €65,374 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 France and Iowa are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to France?
France performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to France?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In France, the official language is French.
