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 | Chicago | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $938/mo | 40.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $174,100 | 74.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $52,941 | 35.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 96.3 | 0.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 91.7 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 96.9 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 99.1 | 1.7% lower 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 Chicago, you'd need $71,379 in St. Louis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Louis, MO is about 28.6% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in St. Louis than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $57,103 in St. Louis to keep the same standard of living.