Moving to Iowa from Greece
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Greece to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Greece to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 47.2% more expensive than Greece overall. A €65,374 salary in Greece would need to be roughly $80,319 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 72°F in Athens, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Greece to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
€65,374 → $80,319
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 46.0% more
Groceries
pay 52.8% more
Transportation
pay 20.6% less
Housing
pay 60.9% more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.2% 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 23% more than cities in Greece.
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 Greece to Iowa, based on official data.
people moved from Greece 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
- · · ·
-
56.116,619
Greece
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Greece to Iowa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Greece performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs significantly better than Greece 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 Greece across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Greece 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 | Athens | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Athens | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Hellenic National Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece 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.
Greece passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Greece
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 Greece?
No — Iowa is on average about 7% more expensive than Greece. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,080 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 Greece?
Greece performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Greece?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Greece, the official language is Greek.
