Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

114

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
Learn more

Saint Louis, MO Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Louis, MO and in New York, NY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Louis, MO is about 52% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 $17.81

$28.55 $28.55

-37.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$118 $118

-35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$15.04 $15.04

-21.34%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$6.53 $6.53

-22.82%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$3.96 $3.96

-39.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.01 $3.01

-41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 $5.72

$8.16 $8.16

-29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$9.84 $9.84

-29.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.37 $1.37

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.97 $4.97

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$7.81 $7.81

-24.71%

Eggs

$3.86 $3.86

$5.97 $5.97

-35.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$18.91 $18.91

-29.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$18.04 $18.04

-13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.61 $20.61

$19.05 $19.05

8.19%

Apples (1kg)

$8.44 $8.44

$6.76 $6.76

24.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.27 $2.27

4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$6.83 $6.83

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$7.09 $7.09

-27.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.22 $4.22

3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.65 $4.65

6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.87 $2.87

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.60 $2.60

12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$18.77 $18.77

-56.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$20.13 $20.13

-26.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.45 $3.45

-19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.02 $4.02

-18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.91 $2.91

-12.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 $78.3

$139 $139

-43.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.08 $3.08

11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.12 $2.12

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.27 $39.27

$41.96 $41.96

-6.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.17 $1.17

-14.53%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

-15.86%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.73%

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

$246 $246

$219 $219

12.19%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$74.2 $74.2

-6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$70.2 $70.2

7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.83 $28.83

$112 $112

-74.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$74.9 $74.9

-73.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$22.14 $22.14

-37.90%

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

$1,404 $1,404

$3,558 $3,558

-60.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$62.2K $62.2K

-62.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$75.6 $75.6

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$51.2 $51.2

-23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$123 $123

-28.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$140 $140

-13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$4,499 $4,499

-67.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 $881

$3,078 $3,078

-71.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 $1,797

$9,447 $9,447

-80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$5,190 $5,190

-70.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,631 $1,631

$18.1K $18.1K

-90.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$6,693 $6,693

-72.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$5,220 $5,220

-19.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.86

-2.04%

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

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Louis, MO

$881 37.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 249% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$496 21%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 13.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$391 16.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 7% $28

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$297 12.6%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 48% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 26.8% $37

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.2%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 64.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$56 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 177% $100

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO versus $4,499 in New York, NY. 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 $76 in Saint Louis, MO versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $496 vs $563 – making Saint Louis, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

1 h ahead of Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Saint Louis, MO
New York, NY

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

Saint Louis, MO vs New York, NY: 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 $3,542 per month in Saint Louis, MO and $7,412 in New York, NY. 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 $1,404 per month in Saint Louis, MO and $3,558 in New York, NY. 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.