

St. Louis vs Waterloo
$105/mo more in Waterloo
St. LouisWaterlooAbout 285 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Waterloo leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,767/mo in Waterloo. $2,662/mo in St. Louis. +$1,260 a year.
St. Louis
$2,662
left each month
Waterloo
$2,767
+$105 vs St. Louis
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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+$105 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | St. Louis | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,583 | $6,880 | −$704 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,905 | $1,556 | −$348 |
| Take-home pay | $5,679 | $5,324 | −$355 |
| Rent | $1,138 | $788 | −$350 |
| Getting around | $545 | $510 | −$35 |
| Groceries | $368 | $347 | −$21 |
| Healthcare | $414 | $391 | −$23 |
| Utilities | $230 | $217 | −$13 |
| Everything else | $322 | $304 | −$18 |
| Left over | $2,662 | $2,767 | +$105 |
Salary to match St. Louis
$80,500
Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $91,000 in St. Louis.
Tax difference
+$1,678
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.1% in St. Louis, 22.6% in Waterloo.
More about Waterloo
St. Louis, MO in full
The lowest home prices of any metro over 2 million people.
Waterloo, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $938 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
The other way
Start in Waterloo.
Waterloo → St. Louis →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than St. Louis?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Waterloo leaves about $105 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,138 in St. Louis and $788 in Waterloo.
Does Waterloo have state income tax?
Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from St. Louis to Waterloo?
The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. 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 St. Louis and Waterloo 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.