Cost of living in East St. Louis 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 East St. Louis 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 East St. Louis is 75, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in East St. Louis is 0.8x lower than the national average.
East St. Louis ranks as the #3 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
East St. Louis ranks as the #11 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in East St. Louis is $38,153.
The median income in East St. Louis is $30,992.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, East St. Louis has an overall cost of living index of 75, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, East St. Louis has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in East St. Louis ranks as #3 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies East St. Louis ranks as the #333 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in East St. Louis, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in East St. Louis. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in East St. Louis is 94.
The Groceries index in East St. Louis is 97.
The Health index in East St. Louis is 87.
The Housing index in East St. Louis is 37.
The Transportation index in East St. Louis is 95.
The Utilities index in East St. Louis is 100.
| Living Expense | East St. Louis | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 75 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 37 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 100 | 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 East St. Louis is $38,153.
The Median Rent in East St. Louis is $597.
The Median Income in East St. Louis is $30,992.
The Home Value To Income in East St. Louis is 1.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in East St. Louis is 0.23x.
| Statistic | East St. Louis | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $38,153 | $283,508 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $597 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $30,992 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 1.2x | 3.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | East St. Louis | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.11 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.28 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.92 | $18 |
| Haircut | $21.19 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $40.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | East St. Louis | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.4 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.36 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.5 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.28 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.84 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.47 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | East St. Louis | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $125.72 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $124.51 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | East St. Louis | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.2 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $50.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | East St. Louis | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $133.84 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $188.69 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around East St. Louis. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
O'Fallon, IL has a cost of living index of 102, 1.4x East St. Louis.
Edwardsville, IL has a cost of living index of 100, 1.3x East St. Louis.
Swansea, IL has a cost of living index of 93, 1.2x East St. Louis.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. East St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Fallon, IL | 32,139 | 102 | 1.4x |
| Edwardsville, IL | 26,543 | 100 | 1.3x |
| Swansea, IL | 14,603 | 93 | 1.2x |
| Shiloh, IL | 14,109 | 101 | 1.3x |
| Glen Carbon, IL | 13,521 | 102 | 1.4x |
| Columbia, IL | 11,063 | 99 | 1.3x |
| Waterloo, IL | 11,055 | 94 | 1.3x |
| Troy, IL | 10,889 | 94 | 1.3x |
| Mascoutah, IL | 8,743 | 93 | 1.2x |
| Maryville, IL | 8,280 | 99 | 1.3x |