Moving to Kansas from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Kansas — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 2.2% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $75,215 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iowa to Kansas. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $75,215 To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 4.4% less Groceries pay 4.3% more Transportation pay 0.9% more Housing pay 5.8% more Childcare pay 13.4% less Entertainment and Sports pay 4.3% 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 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 Kansas cost about 14% more than cities in Iowa. Compare cities head-to-head How Iowa and Kansas stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Iowa performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Iowa performs better than Kansas across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Kansas leads in internet access. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person typical annual income of a household share of people below the poverty line Iowa performs better than Kansas across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Iowa generally does better on family life, though Kansas leads in bachelor's degree or higher. Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Headline costs are within a few percent between Kansas and Iowa; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,804 in Kansas for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Iowa performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics. Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Topeka is 66°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Des Moines Topeka Jan–Mar 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) View all months
Month Des Moines Topeka Jan 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) Feb 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) Mar 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) Apr 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) May 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) Jun 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) Jul 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) Aug 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) Sep 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) Oct 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) Dec 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than Iowa?
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Is Kansas safe?
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What's the weather like in Kansas compared to Iowa?
