Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, MO and Hillsboro, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Independence, MO: $2,126 a month against $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Independence, MO
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Independence, MO Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Hillsboro, OR
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Hillsboro, OR Living Index

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Independence, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,126

/mo nomad

Hillsboro, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Independence, MO and in Hillsboro, OR

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

A single person spends $2,126 per month in Independence, MO vs $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Independence, MO $2,126
Hillsboro, OR $2,898

A couple spends around $3,078 per month in Independence, MO vs $3,926 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Independence, MO $3,078
Hillsboro, OR $3,926

A family of three spends $4,029 per month in Independence, MO vs $4,954 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Independence, MO $4,029
Hillsboro, OR $4,954

Independence, MO is about 27% cheaper than Hillsboro, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Independence, MO and Hillsboro, OR sit above the global median – Independence, MO by 56%, Hillsboro, OR by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 $20.16

$22.12 $22.12

-8.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$61.1 $61.1

22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 $12.69

$7.78 $7.78

63.11%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$4.75 $4.75

6.53%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.80 $2.80

-3.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.02 $2.02

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.86 $4.86

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$5.97 $5.97

28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.05 $1.05

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.76 $3.76

-15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.41 $5.41

-18.48%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$3.81 $3.81

14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$10.02 $10.02

11.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 $9.53

$13.82 $13.82

-31.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 $13.46

$19.53 $19.53

-31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.68 $3.68

17.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.69 $1.69

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.77 $3.77

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.36 $3.36

25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.17 $2.17

46.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.19 $2.19

36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.00 $2.00

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.87 $1.87

12.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.83 $7.83

$10.08 $10.08

-22.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.57 $13.57

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.71 $1.71

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.63 $3.63

4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 $99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.85 $4.85

-49.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.34 $1.34

-8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.23 $25.23

$29.80 $29.80

-15.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.15 $1.15

-10.43%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$18.6K $18.6K

75.20%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$22.3K $22.3K

14.99%

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

$255 $255

$151 $151

68.64%

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

$63.9 $63.9

$41.00 $41.00

55.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$48.47 $48.47

49.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 $52.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.10 $12.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$14.18 $14.18

5.22%

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

$1,037 $1,037

$1,208 $1,208

-14.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$12.0K $12.0K

60.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.21 $38.21

51.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 $39.80

$38.70 $38.70

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 $96.3

$95.1 $95.1

1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$85.9 $85.9

44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 $1,022

$1,894 $1,894

-46.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$1,639 $1,639

-47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$2,831 $2,831

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$2,154 $2,154

-39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,512 $1,512

$3,329 $3,329

-54.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 $3,328

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,423 $3,423

$4,697 $4,697

-27.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.22

5.47%

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

Last update for Independence, MO: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hillsboro, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Independence, MO

$861 40.5%

Hillsboro, OR

$1.6K 56.5% 90.4% $778

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, MO

$391 18.4%

Hillsboro, OR

$240 8.3% 38.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Independence, MO

$364 17.1%

Hillsboro, OR

$387 13.4% 6.5% $24

Eating Out

Independence, MO

$329 15.5%

Hillsboro, OR

$313 10.8% 4.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, MO

$143 6.7%

Hillsboro, OR

$116 4% 18.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, MO

$30 * 1.4%

Hillsboro, OR

$81 2.8% 170% $51

Getting Around

Independence, MO

$8.6 * 0.4%

Hillsboro, OR

$122 4.2% 1331% $114

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Independence, MO versus $1,894 in Hillsboro, OR. 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 37% higher in Hillsboro, OR. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Independence, MO versus $61 in Hillsboro, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $364 in Independence, MO vs $387 in Hillsboro, OR – so Independence, MO wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, MO

🇺🇸 Hillsboro, OR

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

2 h behind Independence, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

106,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Independence, MO Hillsboro, OR 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Independence, MO
Hillsboro, OR

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

Independence, MO vs Hillsboro, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hillsboro, OR costs about 36% more than Independence, MO, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,189 per month in Independence, MO and $4,348 in Hillsboro, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Independence, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,022 there versus $1,894 in Hillsboro, OR.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,126 in Independence, MO and $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR. That makes Independence, MO about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,037 per month in Independence, MO and $1,208 in Hillsboro, OR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Independence, 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 Independence, MO. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillsboro, OR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.