How much does an electric car cost per month in Iowa?

About $54.02 a month, assuming 3,800 kWh a year at 17.06¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does an electric car use?

Roughly 3,800 kWh a year under these assumptions.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

Iowa has the 23rd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $690 a year.

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Cost to run an electric car in Iowa (August 2026 rates)

At 17.06¢ per kilowatt-hour — Iowa's average residential price in August 2026 — running an electric car costs $648 a year. That is 6% less than the national average of $690. Iowa's residential rate is up 10.2% from August 2025, which moves this appliance from $588 to $648 a year.

Per day: $1.78
Per month: $54.02
Per year: $648

Assumption: 3,800 kWh a year. 12,000 miles a year at roughly 3.5 miles per kWh, plus about 10% charging losses, on home Level 2 charging. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

How Iowa compares

Iowa pays 17.06¢/kWh, the 23rd most expensive residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $41.80 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same electric car costs $483 a year in Nevada and $1,793 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $1,309 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
New Mexico	16.51¢	$52.28	$627
Indiana	17.02¢	$53.90	$647
Iowa	17.06¢	$54.02	$648
Colorado	17.17¢	$54.37	$652
Minnesota	17.20¢	$54.47	$654

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an electric car.

What else costs about the same in Iowa

Electric water heater$597 a year in IA Hot tub$426 a year in IA Central air conditioner$401 a year in IA

Cutting the number down

Charging on an off-peak or EV rate plan is usually the single largest lever, and it costs nothing but a schedule setting.
Charging losses are real: the meter sees noticeably more than the battery receives, especially in cold weather.
Cost per mile, not cost per charge, is the number that compares cleanly against a tank of gasoline.

Questions

How much does an electric car cost per month in Iowa?: About $54.02 a month, assuming 3,800 kWh a year at 17.06¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does an electric car use?: Roughly 3,800 kWh a year under these assumptions.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: Iowa has the 23rd most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $690 a year.