Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Saint-Etienne Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Saint-Etienne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,885 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,502 in Saint-Etienne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,944 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,293 in Saint-Etienne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,002 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,084 in Saint-Etienne.

Living in Cape Girardeau, MO is roughly 25% more expensive than Saint-Etienne, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO 41% above, Saint-Etienne 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 $15.14

$16.63 €14.30

-8.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.36 $49.36

$45.66 €39.28

8.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 $7.04

$13.36 €11.49

-47.31%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$2.05 €1.77

155.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.72 €2.34

-21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.18 €1.01

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.94 €3.39

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.52 €3.89

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.25 €1.08

-37.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.18 €1.01

91.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.62 €2.26

27.86%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.56 €3.07

12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$18.35 €15.79

-41.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$15.48 €13.32

-44.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.98 $10.98

$20.63 €17.75

-46.78%

Apples (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.23 €2.77

180.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.24 €1.93

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$2.51 €2.16

210.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$3.45 €2.97

152.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.37 €2.04

35.86%

Onion (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$2.72 €2.34

153.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.56 €1.34

85.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.36 €0.31

516.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.69 $7.69

$12.88 €11.08

-40.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$8.00 €6.88

89.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.11 €2.67

-45.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.81 €3.28

4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.57 €1.35

24.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.08 €41.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$5.17 €4.45

-33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.76 €1.52

-10.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.21 $29.21

$32.95 €28.35

-11.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.99 €1.71

-59.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K $27.3K

$37.8K €32.6K

-27.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.9K $19.9K

$37.4K €32.2K

-46.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$151 $151

$122 €105

24.33%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$43.93 $43.93

$27.75 €23.87

58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$34.01 €29.25

131.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.95 $19.95

$31.67 €27.24

-37.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.92 €5.95

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 $13.44

$10.55 €9.07

27.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$743 $743

$782 €672

-4.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$8,188 €7,044

189.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.30 $39.30

$80.9 €69.6

-51.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 $40.69

$44.05 €37.89

-7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$85.2 €73.3

1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.86 $39.86

$114 €98.2

-65.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 $798

$575 €495

38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$451 €388

78.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 $1,402

$902 €776

55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 $1,635

$691 €595

136.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,462 $1,462

$1,765 €1,519

-17.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 $1,432

$1,707 €1,469

-16.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,487 $2,487

$2,319 €1,995

7.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.64

77.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: June 1, 2026

Last update for Saint-Etienne: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $575 in Saint-Etienne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Cape Girardeau, MO vs $46.00 in Saint-Etienne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $363 per month, with Saint-Etienne cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Girardeau, MO vs Saint-Etienne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Etienne is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $575 in Saint-Etienne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,885 per month in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,502 in Saint-Etienne – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,502 in Saint-Etienne versus $1,885 in Cape Girardeau, MO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint-Etienne but tight or insufficient in Cape Girardeau, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Etienne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cape Girardeau, MO and Saint-Etienne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Saint-Etienne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.