

New York vs St. Louis
$1,414/mo more in St. Louis
New YorkSt. LouisAbout 888 miles apart, a flight.
- St. Louis leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,656/mo in St. Louis. $1,242/mo in New York. +$16,968 a year.
New York
$1,242
left each month
St. Louis
$2,656
+$1,414 vs New York
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 168 households moved New York → St. Louis (avg AGI $102,512). 399 went the other way. The whole move →
+$1,414 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | New York | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $9,292 | $7,574 | −$1,718 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,886 | $1,901 | −$985 |
| Take-home pay | $6,405 | $5,673 | −$733 |
| Rent | $3,018 | $1,138 | −$1,880 |
| Getting around | $347 | $545 | +$198 |
| Groceries | $496 | $368 | −$128 |
| Healthcare | $558 | $414 | −$144 |
| Utilities | $310 | $230 | −$80 |
| Everything else | $434 | $322 | −$112 |
| Left over | $1,242 | $2,656 | +$1,414 |
Salary to match New York
$64,500
Gross pay in St. Louis that leaves the same amount as $111,500 in New York.
Tax difference
+$5,710
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 31.1% in New York, 25.1% in St. Louis.
More about St. Louis
New York, NY in full
The one place where skipping a car genuinely offsets the rent.
St. Louis, MO in full
The lowest home prices of any metro over 2 million people.
The other way
Start in St. Louis.
St. Louis → New York →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in St. Louis than New York?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, St. Louis leaves about $1,414 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $3,018 in New York and $1,138 in St. Louis.
Does St. Louis have state income tax?
St. Louis is in Missouri, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
What changes if you move from New York to St. Louis?
The paycheck is taxed in Missouri. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between New York and St. Louis changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.