City comparison
Columbia, MO is about 125 miles (200 km) from Springfield, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 2 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Columbia, MO to Springfield, MO takes about 16 min, covering roughly 125 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Springfield has a population of 168,873, vs 126,172 in Columbia — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 83 sq mi vs 68 sq mi for Columbia.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Columbia | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $997/mo | $878/mo | 13.6% higher in Columbia |
| Median home value | $248,600 | $146,400 | 69.8% higher in Columbia |
| Median household income | $60,455 | $43,450 | 39.1% higher in Columbia |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.5 | 86.4 | ≈ equal (Columbia slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 93.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 93.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbia, you'd need $97,858 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, MO is about 2.1% cheaper overall than Columbia, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Columbia than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $78,286 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.