How Much Does It Cost to Live In Saint Louis, MO?
St. Louis is a major mid-western metropolis filled with culture and the largest metropolitan area in Missouri.
You can live a very good life in St. Louis, whether you live in the surrounding counties or a nice part of the city.
St. Louis, in general, is an inexpensive area: the cost of living is definitely manageable and there are jobs to be found.
There are many free things to do here like visiting parks, sculpture gardens, and public events like the famous St. Louis Fair.
Housing costs are low compared to other cities.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
St. Louis has the greatest variety of beers you have ever seen, and the foodie culture is growing as well.
There are awesome new bars and restaurants popping up all the time in this city and if you are more into coffee shops, there is also an abundance of that as well.
As for the prices, they’re somewhat lower than the norm: a meal in an inexpensive restaurant costs around 20$.
MARKETS
Food and groceries are on par with all major cities.
There are many grocery stores around.
If you know how to cook, you will find all the ingredients you need here which is great news because you can save a ton of money this way.
You should know that supermarkets keep basically the same prices as all the other stores in the country.
TRANSPORTATION
Metro St. Louis is in charge of the buses around the St. Louis metro area, but the people living here aren’t too thrilled with them: in many cases, they don’t run as frequently as you would expect.
A single fare is 2.50$.
MetroLink is a light rail system that has stops in many of St. Louis’ most popular destinations.
A two-hour transfer pass costs 3$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Everything in St. Louis is relatively cheaper than the nation’s average – except for the bills.
The prices of utilities here are almost double the cost of utilities in some other cities.
For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people) basic utilities like electricity, trash and water will cost you 187$ approximately.
SPORTS & LEISURE
There are state parks and hiking trails all around, so you have many ways of exercising and staying fit in nature, for free.
On the downside, the weather isn’t great for outdoor activities, which is why many mid-westerners tend to have weight problems.
A membership at the gym or a fitness costs around 34$.
If you love going to the movies, a cinema ticket is 12$ per person.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Downtown St. Louis has recently been revitalized and is now home to a number of local fashion-forward shops and several upscale furniture stores.
If you love shopping, look no further: it’s got more than enough shopping opportunities in every quadrant of the metro area.
The prices are reasonable.
If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 50$, and quality sneakers cost around 78$.
RENT PER MONTH
The best part when it comes to the cost of living is that this is a big city with small-town rent!
You are looking on average at around 1200$ for a decent one-bedroom apartment in a nice area of the city.
And of course, the closer you get to the city center, the more expensive the apartments will be.
You can always go to the suburbs and rent a charming apartment further from the city for some 1000$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Saint Louis, MO
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $20.0 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $6.0 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.48 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.90 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.49 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.36 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $78.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.87 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $187.17 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $65.71 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $34.14 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $14.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $49.44 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $43.12 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $78.09 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1200.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1002.33 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2450.00 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Saint Louis, MO?
Most of the money in St. Louis gets spent on food, and people go and spent huge bulks of money in markets and grocery stores.
You can count on 200$ a week going on food if you have a family.
Another one of the biggest expenses is rent, as it can be pretty steep in certain areas, but in general, it is quite reasonable compared to some other major cities in America.
Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – though transportation is cheap, it’s essential for everyone, every day, and as for the restaurants – it’s the only option for many people.
Average Costs Breakdown
Saint Louis, MO: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
There are jobs to be found, though St. Louis doesn’t boast a large tech industry or anything of that matter; the workforce is standard with the wealthy working in real estate or high-end business and the middle class in trade jobs or management.
The average monthly net salary in St. Louis is relatively high, above 3600$, so most people can live without any problems, while the minimum monthly wage is half as much- around 1500$.
However, if you’re the type of person to go out every night, spend money in bars and restaurants, and act comfortably when it comes to pastime and leisure – you might find this average salary a bit too low.
