Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Springfield, MO Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Springfield, MO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,065 in Durham versus $2,048 in Springfield, MO.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,056 in Durham versus $2,900 in Springfield, MO.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,046 in Durham versus $3,752 in Springfield, MO.

Living in Durham is roughly 1% more expensive than in Springfield, MO, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 55% above, Springfield, MO 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 £14.36

$14.88 $14.88

29.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.3

$50.9 $50.9

85.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 £7.53

$8.56 $8.56

18.22%

Cappuccino

$4.32 £3.21

$4.32 $4.32

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.32 $2.32

8.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.88 $1.88

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 £4.68

$4.03 $4.03

56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 £4.06

$6.13 $6.13

-10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.01 $1.01

77.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 £1.21

$3.02 $3.02

-46.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 £1.87

$2.03 $2.03

24.14%

Eggs

$4.02 £2.99

$3.42 $3.42

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 £6.90

$8.93 $8.93

3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 £6.12

$9.23 $9.23

-10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 £7.23

$14.17 $14.17

-31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$4.42 $4.42

-20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.23 $1.23

82.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.23 $3.23

-1.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 £2.47

$4.04 $4.04

-17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.69 $1.69

-30.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.57 $2.57

-41.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 £0.77

$1.92 $1.92

-46.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.90 $1.90

-7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.76 £16.93

$7.11 $7.11

220.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 £8.08

$12.06 $12.06

-9.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.24

$1.69 $1.69

78.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$3.60 $3.60

-20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.35 £2.49

$1.28 $1.28

161.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 £41.36

$44.95 $44.95

23.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 £3.52

$2.93 $2.93

61.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.38 £17.39

$35.36 $35.36

-33.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.78 $0.78

144.87%

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

$36.0K £26.7K

$29.7K $29.7K

21.12%

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

$39.3K £29.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

52.25%

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

$280 £208

$231 $231

20.88%

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

$15.58 £11.59

$66.9 $66.9

-76.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.03 £25.31

$73.5 $73.5

-53.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 £38.14

$56.6 $56.6

-9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.54 $34.54

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 £9.78

$11.90 $11.90

10.50%

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

$1,590 £1,182

$782 $782

103.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.6K

$23.3K $23.3K

-21.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 £78.1

$53.2 $53.2

97.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 £45.29

$33.17 $33.17

83.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £91.3

$68.1 $68.1

80.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 £65.8

$100 $100

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 £1,089

$933 $933

56.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 £614

$849 $849

-2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 £1,970

$1,703 $1,703

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £909

$1,307 $1,307

-6.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,070 £3,771

$1,791 $1,791

183.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,906 £2,905

$1,787 $1,787

118.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,063 £1,534

$2,977 $2,977

-30.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

6.65

-18.05%

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

Last update for Durham: July 12, 2026

Last update for Springfield, MO: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,464 in Durham and $933 in Springfield, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, MO pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Durham vs $51.0 in Springfield, MO. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $321, with Durham cheaper for home cooking.

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

Durham vs Springfield, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Springfield, MO differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,065 vs $2,048 including rent). Springfield, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Springfield, MO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,464 in Durham versus $933 in Springfield, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,065 per month in Durham versus $2,048 in Springfield, MO – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Springfield, MO runs roughly 24% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,048 in Springfield, MO versus $2,065 in Durham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Springfield, MO but tight or insufficient in Durham. The gap between the two cities makes Springfield, MO 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, Durham and Springfield, MO 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 Springfield, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.