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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Louis leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,326/month — 30% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Louis leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,326/month — 30% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Here's St Louis by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 89. Rent: $1,326/month. Income: $55,279/year. Home price: $179,917. Population: 281,754. The strongest category is Housing at 74; the most expensive is Healthcare at 92. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $6,828 per year vs. the national median. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 78 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 22% below the national median. St Louis leads at 74, followed by Independence (76) and Springfield (76). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Worth noting: Across Missouri, the average cost of living index is 91 — 21 points below the national median. Known for two major metros with small-city price tags, the state offers 4 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,317/month. That's $578 less than the national average of $1,895. That gap is hard to ignore.
Bottom line: St Louis leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: St Louis — cost index 89, rent $1,326/mo, income $55,279
St Louis rent up 3% over the past year
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
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.
120,922 residents · Missouri
A closer look at Independence: the cost index of 90 — make of that what you will — breaks down to a Housing index of 76 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). Median rent is $1,313/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $59,480, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
170,188 residents · Missouri
The #3 spot goes to Springfield, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,209/month — saving renters $8,232 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 76, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. The 32% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
510,704 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 | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 74 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | 76 | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | Springfield | 76 | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 85 | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their housing 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 housing index at 74, 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.