Cape Girardeau, MO Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-23

Cost Of Living In Cape Girardeau, MO Summary

Cost of living in Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, 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 Cape Girardeau is 90, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Cape Girardeau is 0.9x lower than the national average.

  • Cape Girardeau ranks as the #69 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.

  • Cape Girardeau ranks as the #1,206 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Cape Girardeau is $218,018.

  • The median income in Cape Girardeau is $54,870.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
90
Cape Girardeau's Overall Cost Of Living
0.9x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Cape Girardeau, MO?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cape Girardeau has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Missouri, Cape Girardeau has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Missouri's index of 89.

The standard of living in Cape Girardeau ranks as #69 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Cape Girardeau ranks as the #73 most expensive place in the Show Me State.

For more reading on life in Cape Girardeau, check out:

69 out of 142
In Missouri
1,206 out of 6,489
In America

Cape Girardeau Cost Of Living Vs. Missouri

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cape Girardeau. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Cape Girardeau is 94.

  • The Groceries index in Cape Girardeau is 97.

  • The Health index in Cape Girardeau is 88.

  • The Housing index in Cape Girardeau is 83.

  • The Transportation index in Cape Girardeau is 93.

  • The Utilities index in Cape Girardeau is 100.

Living Expense Cape Girardeau Missouri National Average
Overall 90 89 100
Services 94 93 100
Groceries 97 96 100
Health 88 88 100
Housing 83 79 100
Transportation 93 92 100
Utilities 100 99 100
For more reading on cost of living around Missouri, check out:
Cape Girardeau Cost of Living Vs. MO

Cape Girardeau, MO Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, 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 Cape Girardeau is $218,018.

  • The Median Rent in Cape Girardeau is $855.

  • The Median Income in Cape Girardeau is $54,870.

  • The Home Value To Income in Cape Girardeau is 4.0x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Cape Girardeau is 0.19x.

Statistic Cape Girardeau Missouri United States
Median Home Value $218,018 $257,929 $303,400
Median Rent $855 $996 $1,348
Median Income $54,870 $68,920 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.0x 3.7x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.19x 0.17x 0.21x
$218,018
Median Home Value
$855
Median Rent
$54,870
Median Income

Cape Girardeau, MO Costs By Category

Detailed Cape Girardeau Services Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Cape Girardeau Missouri
Shampoo $1.11 $1.28
Movie $11.28 $12.13
Bowling $16.92 $18.0
Haircut $21.19 $24.26
Beauty Salon $40.57 $45.56

Detailed Cape Girardeau Groceries Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Cape Girardeau Missouri
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 Cape Girardeau Health Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Cape Girardeau Missouri
Optometrist $125.72 $125.68
Doctor $124.51 $135.78
Dentist $100.78 $113.29

Detailed Cape Girardeau Transportation Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Cape Girardeau Missouri
Gasoline $3.2 $3.46
Tire Balancing $50.0 $59.92

Detailed Cape Girardeau Utilities Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Cape Girardeau Missouri
All Electricity $133.84 $193.99
Phone $188.69 $192.25

Cape Girardeau SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
6
Affordability
6
Diversity
8
Safety
4
Amenities
8.5
Education
8
Commute
9

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Cape Girardeau

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Cape Girardeau. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Carbondale, IL has a cost of living index of 87, 1.0x Cape Girardeau.

  • Marion, IL has a cost of living index of 89, 1.0x Cape Girardeau.

  • Jackson, MO has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Cape Girardeau.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Cape Girardeau
Carbondale, IL 21,813 87 1.0x
Marion, IL 16,796 89 1.0x
Jackson, MO 15,532 93 1.0x
Herrin, IL 12,271 89 1.0x
Perryville, MO 8,530 87 1.0x
Chester, IL 6,830 85 0.9x
Murphysboro, IL 6,804 82 0.9x
Metropolis, IL 5,898 87 1.0x
Carterville, IL 5,822 98 1.1x

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