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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.
At $1,326/month for rent and a cost index of 89, St Louis is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $55,279. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 87 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about 13% below the national median. St Louis leads at 85, followed by Independence (86) and Springfield (86). Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
We ran the numbers three times. The result held every time: St Louis rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked St Louis has increased from $1,282 to $1,326/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
The same data, viewed through a different lens: 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. This is one of those rare cities where the math works from every angle.
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
St Louis comes in at #1. Rent is $1,326 a month. Household income is $55,279. The cost of living index is 89. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
120,922 residents · Missouri
Why Independence ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 90 on the cost index, residents save roughly 22% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,313/month while the median household pulls in $59,480/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 76, though Healthcare (93) lags behind. Home prices average $203,383 — $263,987 below the national median. Quietly competitive.
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
The #4 spot goes to Kansas, and the breakdown explains why. And with some exceptions, renters here pay $1,418/month — saving renters $5,724 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 85, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 97. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
| Rank | City | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 85 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | 86 | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | Springfield | 86 | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 89 | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their transportation 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 transportation index at 85, 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.