Cost of living in Bay 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 Bay 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 Mississippi, 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 Bay St. Louis is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bay St. Louis is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Bay St. Louis ranks as the #65 cheapest in Mississippi out of 68.
Bay St. Louis ranks as the #2,497 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bay St. Louis is $237,393.
The median income in Bay St. Louis is $70,082.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bay St. Louis has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Mississippi, Bay St. Louis has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Mississippi's index of 84.
The standard of living in Bay St. Louis ranks as #65 most affordable out of the 68 places we measured in Mississippi. By definition, that implies Bay St. Louis ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Magnolia State.
For more reading on life in Bay St. Louis, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bay St. Louis. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bay St. Louis is 104.
The Groceries index in Bay St. Louis is 94.
The Health index in Bay St. Louis is 115.
The Housing index in Bay St. Louis is 104.
The Transportation index in Bay St. Louis is 93.
The Utilities index in Bay St. Louis is 79.
| Living Expense | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 99 | 84 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 90 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 94 | 95 | 100 | |
| Health | 115 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 104 | 63 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 79 | 85 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Mississippi, 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 Bay St. Louis is $237,393.
The Median Rent in Bay St. Louis is $1,138.
The Median Income in Bay St. Louis is $70,082.
The Home Value To Income in Bay St. Louis is 3.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bay St. Louis is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $237,393 | $188,640 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,138 | $923 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $70,082 | $54,915 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.4x | 3.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.22 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.3 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $12.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $21.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $43.17 | $45.56 |
| Item | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.15 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.39 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.55 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.31 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.61 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.23 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.57 | $3.7 |
| Item | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $128.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $127.78 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $129.44 | $113.29 |
| Item | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.14 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $68.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Bay St. Louis | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $149.86 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.9 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bay St. Louis. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
New Orleans, LA has a cost of living index of 108, 1.1x Bay St. Louis.
Gulfport, MS has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Bay St. Louis.
Chalmette, LA has a cost of living index of 97, 1.0x Bay St. Louis.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bay St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 376,035 | 108 | 1.1x |
| Gulfport, MS | 72,533 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Chalmette, LA | 22,447 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Ocean Springs, MS | 18,561 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Long Beach, MS | 16,876 | 98 | 1.0x |
| Bogalusa, LA | 10,539 | 86 | 0.9x |
| Diamondhead, MS | 9,338 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Gulf Hills, MS | 8,193 | 95 | 1.0x |
| Meraux, LA | 7,492 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Waveland, MS | 7,066 | 90 | 0.9x |