Cost of living in 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 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 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 St. Louis is 91, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. Louis is 0.9x lower than the national average.
St. Louis ranks as the #73 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.
St. Louis ranks as the #1,347 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. Louis is $179,763.
The median income in St. Louis is $55,279.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. Louis has an overall cost of living index of 91, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, St. Louis has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Missouri's index of 88.
The standard of living in St. Louis ranks as #73 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies St. Louis ranks as the #69 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in St. Louis, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. Louis. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. Louis is 90.
The Groceries index in St. Louis is 98.
The Health index in St. Louis is 87.
The Housing index in St. Louis is 82.
The Transportation index in St. Louis is 93.
The Utilities index in St. Louis is 104.
| Living Expense | St. Louis | Missouri | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 91 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 90 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 87 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 82 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 104 | 99 | 100 | |
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 St. Louis is $179,763.
The Median Rent in St. Louis is $978.
The Median Income in St. Louis is $55,279.
The Home Value To Income in St. Louis is 3.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. Louis is 0.21x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around 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, 1.1x St. Louis.
Edwardsville, IL has a cost of living index of 100, 1.1x St. Louis.
Collinsville, IL has a cost of living index of 89, 1.0x St. Louis.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Fallon, IL | 32,139 | 102 | 1.1x |
| Edwardsville, IL | 26,543 | 100 | 1.1x |
| Collinsville, IL | 24,126 | 89 | 1.0x |
| Clayton, MO | 17,282 | 147 | 1.6x |
| Fairview Heights, IL | 16,255 | 94 | 1.0x |
| Swansea, IL | 14,603 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Shiloh, IL | 14,109 | 101 | 1.1x |
| Glen Carbon, IL | 13,521 | 102 | 1.1x |
| Columbia, IL | 11,063 | 99 | 1.1x |
| Maryville, IL | 8,280 | 99 | 1.1x |