Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saint Louis, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Louis, MO: $2,361 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
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Saint Louis, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Saint Louis, MO

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Saint Louis, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,361 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Saint Louis, MO $2,361

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,555 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Saint Louis, MO $3,555

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,749 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Saint Louis, MO $4,749

Chicago, IL costs about 29% more than Saint Louis, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Saint Louis, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Saint Louis, MO by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.81 $17.81

16.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.3 $76.3

17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.83 $11.83

11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.04 $5.04

12.30%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.39 $2.39

10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.76 $1.76

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.72 $5.72

20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.96 $6.96

27.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.28 $1.28

-2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.93 $3.93

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.88 $5.88

-8.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.86 $3.86

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.26 $13.26

4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.67 $15.67

-8.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.61 $20.61

-10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$8.44 $8.44

-38.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.37 $2.37

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.77 $5.77

-29.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.15 $5.15

-3.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.38 $4.38

-39.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.93 $4.93

-46.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.91 $2.91

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.93 $2.93

6.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.16 $8.16

69.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.85 $14.85

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.79 $2.79

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.27 $3.27

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.55 $2.55

-4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$78.3 $78.3

-6.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.44 $3.44

-7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.59 $1.59

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$39.27 $39.27

-36.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.00 $1.00

20.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.0K $29.0K

20.78%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.44%

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

$194 $194

$246 $246

-21.02%

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

$69.5 $69.5

-0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$75.7 $75.7

-18.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$28.83 $28.83

66.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.14 $20.14

35.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.75 $13.75

29.53%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,404 $1,404

27.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$58.9 $58.9

13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.31 $39.31

32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.3 $88.3

15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,453 $1,453

73.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$881 $881

79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,797 $1,797

163.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,519 $1,519

77.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,631 $1,631

156.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,819 $1,819

52.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,178 $4,178

18.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Saint Louis, MO

$881 37.3% 44.1% $697

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Saint Louis, MO

$496 21% 10.9% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Saint Louis, MO

$297 12.6% 13.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Saint Louis, MO

$391 16.6% 20.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9% 15.6% $26

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.2% 7% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Saint Louis, MO

$56 2.4% 32.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $76 in Saint Louis, MO. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $496 in Saint Louis, MO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

301,578

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Saint Louis, MO 420 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Chicago, IL vs Saint Louis, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,361 in Saint Louis, MO – Saint Louis, MO comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,542 in Saint Louis, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Louis, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,453 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in Saint Louis, MO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Saint Louis, MO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Louis, MO. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.