City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $938/mo | 65.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $174,100 | 165.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $52,941 | 63.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 98.9 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 84.8 | 21.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 86.0 | 6.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 84.5 | 30.7% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $75,573 in St. Louis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Louis, MO is about 24.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% lower in St. Louis than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $60,458 in St. Louis to keep the same standard of living.