Moving to Iowa from Ireland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ireland to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ireland to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 17.5% cheaper than Ireland overall. A €67,000 salary in Ireland would need to be roughly $62,000 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Iowa cheaper than Ireland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 10.3% less
Groceries
pay 5.6% more
Transportation
pay 46.4% less
Housing
pay 26.1% less
Childcare
pay 67.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.6% 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.
What salary do you need in Iowa?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $62,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →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 10% less than cities in Ireland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Ireland to Iowa, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Ireland 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
- · · ·
-
59.105,858
Ireland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ireland and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Ireland performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Ireland 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 Ireland leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Ireland performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Iowa vs Ireland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Dublin | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Dublin | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Ireland to Iowa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ireland 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.
Ireland passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Ireland
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 Ireland?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 17% cheaper than Ireland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around $15,500 in Iowa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Working remotely from Iowa's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Ireland and Iowa.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Ireland?
Ireland performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Ireland?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 56°F in Dublin. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Dublin gets 29.8 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Ireland, the official languages are English and Irish.
