Chicago vs St. Louis
Chicago, IL · St. Louis, MO
St. Louis is 25% cheaper than Chicago overall.
Home Price
Chicago: $315,000
St.: $205,000
Monthly Rent
Chicago: $2,288/mo
St.: $900/mo
COL Index
Chicago: 114
St.: 86
Median Income
Chicago: $70,100
St.: $61,400
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Chicago has the same purchasing power as $75,439 in St. Louis — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in St. Louis cost 35% more (-$110,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in St. Louis saves you $1,388/month — $16,656 per year. Median rent: $2,288/mo in Chicago vs $900/mo in St. Louis.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Chicago owners pay roughly $6,615/year in property taxes vs $2,050/year in St. Louis. That's a $4,565 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $70,100 in Chicago and $61,400 in St. Louis. St. Louis residents earn 12% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 31 minutes in Chicago vs 24 minutes in St. Louis. Over a year, that's 3500 extra minutes (58 hours) of commuting in Chicago.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Chicago to St. Louis, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Chicago | Equivalent in St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $37,719 | -$12,281 |
| $75,000 | $56,579 | -$18,421 |
| $100,000 | $75,439 | -$24,561 |
| $150,000 | $113,158 | -$36,842 |
| $200,000 | $150,877 | -$49,123 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
See monthly payments for homes in either city
Rent vs Buy
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in these markets?
Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
Home Appreciation
Project future home value growth
Affordability Calculator
How much home can you afford?
Property Tax Calculator
Estimate taxes in Chicago or St. Louis
Chicago Calculators
St. Louis Calculators
Related Comparisons
Chicago vs St. Louis: Common Questions
Is Chicago or St. Louis cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, St. Louis is cheaper overall. Chicago has a COL index of 114 while St. Louis scores 86 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Chicago and St. Louis?
The median home price in Chicago is $315,000 vs $205,000 in St. Louis — a difference of $110,000 (35%).
What salary do I need in St. Louis to match my Chicago income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Chicago is equivalent to $75,439 in St. Louis in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
St. Louis has a lower property tax rate (1% vs 2.1%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,050/year vs $6,615/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.