

Cape Girardeau vs Paducah
$251/mo less in Paducah
Cape GirardeauPaducahAbout 60 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Paducah costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 222 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,230/mo in Paducah. $2,481/mo in Cape Girardeau. −$3,012 a year.
Cape Girardeau
$2,481
left each month
Paducah
$2,230
−$251 vs Cape Girardeau
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$251 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Cape Girardeau | Paducah | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,458 | $6,622 | +$164 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,442 | $1,618 | +$176 |
| Take-home pay | $5,016 | $5,004 | −$12 |
| Rent | $721 | $821 | +$100 |
| Getting around | $542 | $589 | +$47 |
| Groceries | $351 | $376 | +$25 |
| Healthcare | $395 | $423 | +$28 |
| Utilities | $219 | $235 | +$16 |
| Everything else | $307 | $329 | +$22 |
| Left over | $2,481 | $2,230 | −$251 |
Salary to match Cape Girardeau
$84,000
Gross pay in Paducah that leaves the same amount as $77,500 in Cape Girardeau.
Tax difference
−$1,524
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.3% in Cape Girardeau, 24.4% in Paducah.
More about Paducah
Cape Girardeau, MO in full
State income tax topping out at 4.7%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $858 and 219 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Paducah, KY in full
A flat 4% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $977 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
The other way
Start in Paducah.
Paducah → Cape Girardeau →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Paducah than Cape Girardeau?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Paducah leaves about $251 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $721 in Cape Girardeau and $821 in Paducah.
Does Paducah have state income tax?
Paducah is in Kentucky, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.50%.
What changes if you move from Cape Girardeau to Paducah?
The paycheck is taxed in Kentucky. 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 Cape Girardeau and Paducah 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.