Moving to Iowa from Germany
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Germany to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Germany to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 3.8% more expensive than Germany overall. A €65,374 salary in Germany would need to be roughly $64,491 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Germany to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
€65,374 → $64,491
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 19.2% less
Groceries
pay 12.3% more
Transportation
pay 38.7% less
Housing
pay 7.9% more
Childcare
pay 73.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.4% 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 7% less than cities in Germany.
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 Germany to Iowa, based on official data.
people moved from Germany 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
- · · ·
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18.534,203
Germany
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Germany to Iowa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Germany performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Germany 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 Germany leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Germany 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 | Berlin | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Berlin | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Deutscher Wetterdienst
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Germany 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.
Germany passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Germany
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 Germany?
Yes — Iowa is on average about 14% cheaper than Germany. 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 $16,123 in Iowa on a €65,374 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 Germany?
Germany performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Germany?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 56°F in Berlin. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Berlin gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Germany, the official language is German.
