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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Missouri's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: St Louis at index 89, where median rent of $1,326/month saves renters $6,828/year versus the national median (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Dollar for dollar, few states match Missouri's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: St Louis at index 89, where median rent of $1,326/month saves renters $6,828/year versus the national median (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
What does daily life actually cost in St Louis? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 74) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $55,279 and homes at $179,917 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (that's pre-tax, of course).
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 89 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about 11% below the national median. St Louis leads at 88, followed by Independence (88) and Springfield (88). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Keep reading — the next section adds critical context. The 4 cities we track in Missouri paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 91. Median rent: $1,317/month. Household income: $57,048. Missouri is known for two major metros with small-city price tags — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: St Louis — cost index 89, rent $1,326/mo, income $55,279
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
281,754 residents · Missouri
The #1 spot goes to St Louis, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,326/month — saving renters $6,828 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 74, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
120,922 residents · Missouri
At $1,313/month for rent and a cost index of 90, Independence is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $59,480. That's more or less in line with the region.
112,544 residents · Missouri
A closer look at Springfield: the cost index of 90 breaks down to a Housing index of 76 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). Median rent is $1,209/month — 36% below the national median — while household income sits at $45,984, meaning locals spend about 32% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
152,933 residents · Missouri
A closer look at Kansas: the cost index of 94 breaks down to a Housing index of 85 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,418/month — 25% below the national median — while household income sits at $67,449, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 88 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | 88 | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | Springfield | 88 | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 92 | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index within Missouri. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
St Louis ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $55,279.
St Louis, MO has the lowest food & groceries index at 88, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
St Louis (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,326/mo, while Kansas (ranked #4) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 5-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in St Louis is $1,326/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $569 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in St Louis is $179,917, which is 3.3× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Missouri has a 4.8% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.335%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.88%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.