St. Louis consists of family-friendly communities and boasts beautiful, historic architecture that leaves visitors and residents alike in awe. The Gateway to the West is a vibrant metropolis that’s attracted thousands of new residents in 2020 alone.
As a staging post for western expansion in the U.S., St. Louis has a rich history. It’s an eclectic city with a major blues music scene and made up of fiercely loyal sports fans.
Between 2019 and 2021, thousands of new residents moved into the city. If you like the idea of living in a city with beautiful architecture, a cool vibe and kind neighbors, St. Louis might be a great place to put down roots.
To find out if the cost of living in St. Louis fits your budget, we’ve dissected the cost of living in multiple categories. Overall, it looks like this city is one of the more affordable cities in the country with a cost of living that’s 12.2 percent lower than the national average, falling 0.1 percent in the past year.
Being as informed as possible about things like the cost of food and the average rent in St. Louis will help you feel confident about making the move to a new city.
Housing costs in St. Louis
If you’re looking for an affordable city to move to, you should definitely consider St. Louis. Overall, housing in this city is 24.7 percent less than the national average. The average rent in St. Louis is $1,961 per month, which is 17.4 percent lower than the previous year.
Of course, how much you pay will depend on the neighborhood in which you call home. For example, if you love the Central West End Historic District, your dream apartment will cost around $3,095 per month. On the other hand, if you like the neighborhoods of Florissant and Lakewood, you’ll pay $846 and $724, respectively — a significant difference in price from the average rent in St. Louis.
Average rent prices in cities near St. Louis
Another way to keep the cost of living in St. Louis on the affordable side is to find rental properties in surrounding cities and suburbs. Here are a few you might want to consider.
Home prices in St. Louis
If you’re not happy with the average rent in St. Louis, you have another option: purchase a home. The average cost of a home in this city is $210,000, up a little over 5 percent from last year. An important note: the housing market is very competitive right now, according to Redfin. Homes tend to get multiple offers and sell for 1 to 7 percent above the listing price.
On a positive note, though, buying a house can keep your cost of living in St. Louis rather low. If you only put 5 percent down on a $210,000 home, you’ll pay around $902 per month. If you put the recommended 20 percent down, your monthly mortgage payment will average $760.
Food costs in St. Louis
Besides housing costs, food is your next greatest expense. And depending on the area in which you live, food prices can make the cost of living in St. Louis affordable or too expensive.
Grocery costs in St. Louis are on par with the U.S. average, only slightly below it by 1.7 percent. A half-gallon of milk, for example, will run you approximately $1.76 in St. Louis. The national average is $2.10. The national average for a dozen eggs is $1.47. In St. Louis, they cost $1.31.
Don’t forget about eating out! As Americans get busier, they tend to eat out more often, either visiting the restaurant or ordering takeout or delivery. Eating out is fun and makes life so much easier when you’re taking care of everything on your plate.
The average cost of a meal for one person in St. Louis is $17. And you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Despite the pandemic, the St. Louis food scene is on the rise. There are several restaurants that opened within the last year that will make a foodie’s heart soar, like:
- Edera Italian Eatery
- BEAST Butcher & Block
- Terror Tacos
- Taqueria Durango
- Fortunate Gooseberry
You’ll find an abundance of eatery options to delight every mood and palate. From pizza and Mexican to Chinese and Southern comfort food trucks, you’ll have plenty to choose from.
Utility costs in St. Louis
Utility costs can quickly drive up the cost of living in St. Louis, including the average rent in St. Louis if your landlord includes those fees in your rent.
Fortunately, utility fees are around 5.3 percent lower in this city than the national average. This is 3 percent lower than 2020, too.
Utility fees include:
- Electricity and other energy costs
- Water and sewage
- Garbage and recycling pick-up
- Cell phone service
- Internet
- Cable
In normal circumstances, you can expect to pay $148.54 per month for energy expenses. The national average is $161.20.
Some things that can drive up utility costs include:
- Extensive use of heaters and air conditioners (which is sometimes hard to control given the weather extremes in this part of the country)
- Leaving all the lights on throughout the day
- The package you choose for internet/cable/cell phone
Transportation costs in St. Louis
Another important factor in determining the cost of living in St. Louis is how much you’ll spend on transportation. Considering the average rent in St. Louis, how much you have to pay toward getting around the city can even determine where you decide to live.
There are four ways to travel in and around St. Louis: walking, biking, public transit and your own vehicle. Transportation costs in the city are 13.5 percent lower than the U.S. average.
St. Louis has good walkability and bike scores (60 and 52, respectively). The public transportation score is 46.
The Metropolitan Saint Louis Transit offers four ways to get around the city:
- Call-A-Ride curb-side pick-up
- Bike & Ride
- Park & Ride
- MetroLink (light rail)
- MetroBus
Bus fare for a 1-way trip is $1.00, while a ride on the light rail is $2.50. A weekly pass on the light rail is $27. You can also invest in a monthly pass, which is $78.
If you own your own vehicle, you’ll pay regularly for fuel, maintenance, registration and parking. Gas prices are currently $2.57 per gallon and maintenance like tire balancing is $38.97. Parking fees vary. The average in Downtown St. Louis is $2 per hour for a spot in a lot or parking garage. Metered parking on the street costs $0.25 for 15 minutes.
Healthcare costs in St. Louis
While it’s difficult to get an accurate reading of healthcare costs, on average, residents of St. Louis pay 12.9 percent lower rates than the national average.
It’s difficult to get an accurate estimate because your healthcare needs might be drastically different than those of your neighbor or even others in your immediate family. If you’re single and healthy, your monthly healthcare costs will be lower than married couples, those who have children/dependents and those with special healthcare needs.
Still, we can break down the costs of some basic healthcare services in the city so you can see how they differ from the national average.
- Doctor visit: $77.70 in St. Louis; $112.81 – the national average
- Eye exam: $73.88 in St. Louis; $105 – the national average
- Dental check-up: $92.78 in St. Louis; $99.44 – the national average
- Chiropractic adjustment: On average, an initial examination with a chiropractor (which often includes an adjustment) is $71.42 in St. Louis. The national average is $111.
Regarding medication costs, over-the-counter medications are around 16.57 percent higher than the national average, while prescription costs are 2.05 percent lower.
Goods and services costs in St. Louis
Every month, quite a bit of a person’s budget goes to the cost of paying for various goods and services. These are “non-essential” items but are still important enough to purchase regularly. Things like:
- Haircare products
- Oral healthcare products
- A trip to the salon
- Regular hair cuts
- Clothing
- Paper products (toilet paper, napkins)
- Dish soap
- A massage
On the whole, the cost of miscellaneous goods and services in St. Louis is 8 percent lower than the national average. Let’s say you’re running errands. You decide to go to a yoga class, head to the salon and then pick up your dry cleaning on the way home. You’ll pay about $68.13 (national average = $67.03).
Another day, you might pick up some toothpaste ($2.32) and shampoo ($1.15) before going to a movie ($10.33) and getting some pizza and beer ($19.19). You’ll spend an average of $50.02. The national average for these items comes to $32.99.
As you can see, these costs can quickly add up and will impact the cost of living in St. Louis.
Taxes in St. Louis
While most people don’t like talking about taxes, it’s important to know what you’re paying toward them as they can directly impact the cost of living in St. Louis.
The income tax rate in Missouri is between 0 percent and 5.4 percent. In 2014, the Missouri legislature decided to cut income taxes from 6 percent to the current rate. People who live or work in St. Louis also pay a 1 percent earnings tax.
Other taxes to consider are sales tax and residential property tax (if you decide to purchase a home).
The sales tax rate in St. Louis is 9.679 percent, which is a combination of the city and state tax rates. The Missouri state sales tax is 4.23 percent. The St. Louis tax is 5.45 percent. If you buy a product with a price tag of $1,000, you’ll pay nearly $100 extra in sales tax.
The St. Louis County tax rate on residential properties is 1.05 percent. If you purchase a $210,000 home, you’ll pay $2,205 annually in taxes.
You might be able to save money on taxes by donating your furniture when you move. Furniture donation to a charity is something you can deduct from your taxes. Just make sure to ask the charity for a tax receipt.
How much do you need to earn to live in St. Louis?
One of the most important questions you can ask yourself before deciding to move is whether your current income (or income from a new job) will support the cost of living in St. Louis.
To help you figure this out, let’s look at the average rent in St. Louis. You’ll pay $1,961 per month or $23,532 per year. The median household income in St. Louis is $43,896. The average rent in St. Louis comes to nearly half the median income for people in this city.
Most financial professionals recommend paying no more than 30 percent. However, you have some wiggle room. You can:
- Find a more affordable neighborhood
- Find an apartment in a St. Louis suburb
- Purchase a home
- Cut costs by eating out less and walking, biking or taking public transportation
- If possible, get a higher paying job
If you’re unsure of whether your current budget allows for a move to St. Louis, use our free rent calculator to investigate the matter further.
Understanding the cost of living in St. Louis
Knowing as much as you can about the cost of living in St. Louis can help you determine whether it’s really an affordable city in which you can move. And you know what they say: Knowledge is power.
Taking some time to figure out the cost of living in a city — like food, transportation and the average rent in St. Louis — will help you see if the city meshes with your unique budget. That, in turn, can give you the confidence you need to make the transition to a new city.
If you’re ready to make the move to Missouri, be sure to check out our listings to find apartments for rent in St. Louise that are affordable and have all the amenities you need.
Cost of living information comes from The Council for Community and Economic Research.
Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.com’s multifamily rental property inventory of two-bedroom apartments as of August 2021. Our team uses a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.
The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.
Source: rent.com