Cost of Living in Des Moines vs. Oklahoma City

Compare Cost of Living Between Cities

Determine the income needed to maintain your lifestyle when moving to a new city.

Results Summary

For a similar standard of living in Oklahoma City, OK, you need to earn:

$124,971

This is 3.9% lower than your current Pre-Tax income.

Cost of living in Oklahoma City, OK is
3.9% lower
Average housing price is
8.6% lower

Is it more expensive to live in Des Moines or Oklahoma City?

Cost Comparison by Category

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Overall Cost of Living Higher Lower Overall cost of living in Oklahoma City, OK is 3.9% lower than in Des Moines, IA.
Housing Higher Lower The average listing price for a home in Oklahoma City, OK is $322,461, which is 10.2% lower than Des Moines, IA.
Groceries Higher Lower The average cost of groceries in Oklahoma City, OK is 4.2% lower than Des Moines, IA.
Utilities Lower Higher The average cost of utilities in Oklahoma City, OK is 16.2% higher than Des Moines, IA.
Transportation Higher Lower The average cost of transportation in Oklahoma City, OK is 3.6% lower than Des Moines, IA.

Average Housing Cost

Cost of Renting

The average rent in Oklahoma City, OK is 7.8% lower than Des Moines, IA. Start your search for an apartment, house, condo, or townhome in Oklahoma City, OK, and view the average rent for each property type.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Apartment $1,002/month $924/month -8%
Condo $1,824/month $1,150/month -37%
House $834/month $1,035/month +24%

Cost of Buying a Home

The average listing price for a home in Oklahoma City, OK is $322,461, which is 10.2% lower than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Average House Cost $359,280 $322,461 -10%

Apartments for Rent in Oklahoma City, OK

Houses for Rent in Oklahoma City, OK

Compare the Cost of Living in Des Moines, IA vs. Oklahoma City, OK

How do daily expenses in Oklahoma City compare to what you currently pay in Des Moines? Prepare for potential changes in your monthly grocery, utility, and gas bills, and see how much more you’ll spend on a trip to the doctor or a fast-food dinner.

Groceries

The average cost of groceries in Oklahoma City, OK is 4.2% lower than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Steak
$15.63
$15.34
-2%
Ground Beef
$7.09
$6.95
-2%
Sausage
$5.33
$4.42
-17%
Frying Chicken
$1.46
$1.46
+0%

Utilities

The average cost of utilities in Oklahoma City, OK is 16.2% higher than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Energy
$147.75
$195.44
+32%
Phone
$188.99
$197.94
+5%

Healthcare

The average cost of healthcare in Oklahoma City, OK is 14.8% higher than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Optometrist Visit
$119.53
$108.82
-9%
Doctor Visit
$117.58
$146.40
+25%
Dentist Visit
$111.89
$125.35
+12%
Ibuprofen
$11.23
$10.92
-3%

Transportation

The average cost of transportation in Oklahoma City, OK is 3.6% lower than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Gasoline (1 gallon)
$3.02
$2.91
-4%
Tire Balance
$59.11
$56.88
-4%

Goods & Services

The average cost of good and services in Oklahoma City, OK is 8.1% lower than Des Moines, IA.

Des Moines, IA Oklahoma City, OK
Toothpaste
$4.09
$4.05
-1%
Shampoo
$1.68
$1.59
-5%
Dry Cleaning
$16.30
$13.77
-16%
Man Dress Shirt
$36.59
$22.92
-37%

Explore Cost of Living in Other Popular Cities

What is a cost of living index?

A cost of living index is a numerical tool designed to compare expenses in different locations. It tracks the prices of essential goods and services, such as housing, food, utilities, transportation, and healthcare and assigns a score to each region. This index helps renters understand how costly one city is compared to another, helping with financial planning and decision-making before moving to a new place.

How is cost of living calculated?

Cost of living is calculated by looking at the prices of a variety of recurring expenses that people typically need. This can include housing, food, healthcare, and other everyday expenses. Each of these categories is weighted based on its importance in a typical budget. The prices are then compared across different locations to determine how much more or less expensive it is to live in one place compared to another.

Housing

Housing refers to the money you spend on where you live. This includes paying rent if you live in an apartment or making mortgage payments if you own a home.

Food and Groceries

Food and groceries cover the cost of buying food and everyday items like fruits, vegetables, snacks, and drinks. It's all the food you eat at home and the basic supplies you need to keep your house running smoothly.

Utilities

Utilities are the basic services that keep your home comfortable and functional. This includes bills for electricity, water, and internet and phone services.

Healthcare

Healthcare includes the expenses for medical needs. This means the cost of seeing doctors and dentists, buying medicine, and paying for related healthcare services.

Transportation

Transportation costs cover the expenses involved in commuting and travel, including costs associated with personal vehicle upkeep.

Goods & Services

Goods and services cover other everyday expenses that you have. This includes buying clothes, paying for entertainment like movies or sports, and other services you might use, such as haircuts or gym memberships. These are the things you spend money on outside of basic necessities.

How to interpret your results

Knowing whether you’ll save or spend more on expenses in a new city can help you with budgeting. There are a few practical applications of this knowledge. If you're thinking of moving to a more expensive area, you may need to adjust your spending. A region with particularly high rent may encourage you to allocate more of your budget toward housing and less toward entertainment and restaurants, for example. A region with a lower cost of living overall means you may be able to increase your spending in certain areas.

Calculating your estimated cost of living in a new city helps you plan your budget accordingly. Play around with numbers to find a balance between essential spending and disposable income.

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in June 2025.