East St. Louis, IL Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In East St. Louis, IL Summary

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.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
75
East St. Louis's Overall Cost Of Living
0.8x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in East St. Louis, IL?

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:

3 out of 336
In Illinois
11 out of 6,489
In America

East St. Louis Cost Of Living Vs. Illinois

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
For more reading on cost of living around Illinois, check out:
East St. Louis Cost of Living Vs. IL

East St. Louis, IL Housing Cost Breakdown

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
$38,153
Median Home Value
$597
Median Rent
$30,992
Median Income

East St. Louis, IL Costs By Category

Detailed East St. Louis Services Costs Vs. Illinois

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

Detailed East St. Louis Groceries Costs Vs. Illinois

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

Detailed East St. Louis Health Costs Vs. Illinois

Item East St. Louis Illinois
Optometrist $125.72 $125.68
Doctor $124.51 $135.78
Dentist $100.78 $113.29

Detailed East St. Louis Transportation Costs Vs. Illinois

Item East St. Louis Illinois
Gasoline $3.2 $3.46
Tire Balancing $50.0 $59.92

Detailed East St. Louis Utilities Costs Vs. Illinois

Item East St. Louis Illinois
All Electricity $133.84 $193.99
Phone $188.69 $192.25

East St. Louis SnackAbility

3
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
3/10
Housing
2
Affordability
7
Diversity
3
Safety
N/A
Amenities
8.5
Education
4
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around East St. Louis

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

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