Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Saint Louis, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Louis, MO: $2,361 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
114

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Saint Louis, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,361 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Saint Louis, MO $2,361

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,555 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Saint Louis, MO $3,555

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,749 in Saint Louis, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Saint Louis, MO $4,749

New York, NY costs about 109% more than Saint Louis, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Saint Louis, MO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Saint Louis, MO by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.81 $17.81

60.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$76.3 $76.3

55.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.83 $11.83

27.13%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.04 $5.04

29.56%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.39 $2.39

65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.76 $1.76

71.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.72 $5.72

42.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$6.96 $6.96

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.28 $1.28

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.93 $3.93

26.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.88 $5.88

32.82%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.86 $3.86

54.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.26 $13.26

42.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$15.67 $15.67

15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$20.61 $20.61

-7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$8.44 $8.44

-19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.37 $2.37

-4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.77 $5.77

18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.15 $5.15

37.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.38 $4.38

-3.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.93 $4.93

-5.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.91 $2.91

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.93 $2.93

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.16 $8.16

130.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.85 $14.85

35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.79 $2.79

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.27 $3.27

22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.55 $2.55

14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$78.3 $78.3

77.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.44 $3.44

-10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.59 $1.59

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$39.27 $39.27

6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.00 $1.00

17.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.0K $29.0K

18.85%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.65%

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

$219 $219

$246 $246

-10.86%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$69.5 $69.5

6.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$75.7 $75.7

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$28.83 $28.83

288.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$20.14 $20.14

271.70%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.75 $13.75

61.02%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,404 $1,404

153.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.6K $23.6K

163.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$58.9 $58.9

28.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.31 $39.31

30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$88.3 $88.3

39.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,453 $1,453

209.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$881 $881

249.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,797 $1,797

425.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,519 $1,519

241.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,631 $1,631

1009.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,819 $1,819

268.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,178 $4,178

24.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.72

2.08%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 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

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Saint Louis, MO

$881 37.3% 71.4% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Saint Louis, MO

$496 21% 11.9% $67

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Saint Louis, MO

$297 12.6% 32.4% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Saint Louis, MO

$391 16.6% 7.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9% 21.1% $37

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.2% 39.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Saint Louis, MO

$56 2.4% 63.9% $100

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY 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 25% higher in New York, NY, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $76 in Saint Louis, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $496 – making Saint Louis, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

301,578

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Saint Louis, MO 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Saint Louis, MO

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

New York, NY vs Saint Louis, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 109% more than Saint Louis, MO, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY 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 $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,404 in Saint Louis, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.