Moving to Italy from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Italy, you would find that Italy is 0.4% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly €70,879 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iowa to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → €70,879
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.2% more
Groceries
pay 1.9% more
Transportation
pay 57.6% more
Housing
pay 22.9% less
Childcare
pay 50.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.5% less
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 Italy cost about 2% less than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Italy
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iowa to Italy, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Italy · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iowa and Italy stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Italy performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs better than Italy 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 better than Italy across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Italy performs significantly better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Italy than Iowa?
Day-to-day costs in Italy run about 8% higher than Iowa on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €17,720 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
Working remotely from Italy's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Iowa and Italy.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to Iowa?
Italy performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Italy compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Iowa, the official language is English.
