Cost of living in Columbia research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Columbia is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Columbia is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Columbia is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Columbia ranks as the #139 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Columbia ranks as the #2,497 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Columbia is $343,310.
The median income in Columbia is $107,922.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Columbia has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Columbia has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Columbia ranks as #139 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Columbia ranks as the #197 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Columbia, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Columbia. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Columbia is 94.
The Groceries index in Columbia is 96.
The Health index in Columbia is 87.
The Housing index in Columbia is 117.
The Transportation index in Columbia is 95.
The Utilities index in Columbia is 102.
| Living Expense | Columbia | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 117 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 102 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Columbia is $343,310.
The Median Rent in Columbia is $1,089.
The Median Income in Columbia is $107,922.
The Home Value To Income in Columbia is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Columbia is 0.12x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Columbia. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Oakville, MO has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Columbia.
O'Fallon, IL has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Columbia.
Kirkwood, MO has a cost of living index of 117, 1.2x Columbia.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville, MO | 35,166 | 100 | 1.0x |
| O'Fallon, IL | 32,139 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Kirkwood, MO | 29,302 | 117 | 1.2x |
| Mehlville, MO | 29,089 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Collinsville, IL | 24,126 | 89 | 0.9x |
| Lemay, MO | 16,431 | 87 | 0.9x |
| Fairview Heights, IL | 16,255 | 94 | 0.9x |
| Swansea, IL | 14,603 | 93 | 0.9x |
| Shiloh, IL | 14,109 | 101 | 1.0x |
| Town and Country, MO | 11,605 | 161 | 1.6x |