Moving from Wausau to St. Louis
Moving to St. Louis costs you $323 a month
−$3,876 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Wausau leftover
$2,980
a month after tax and rent
St. Louis leftover
$2,657
−$323 vs Wausau
| Per month | Wausau | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,586 | +$86 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,831 | $1,906 | +$75 |
| Take-home pay | $5,669 | $5,680 | +$11 |
| Rent | $778 | $1,144 | +$366 |
| Getting around | $542 | $545 | +$3 |
| Groceries | $378 | $368 | −$10 |
| Healthcare | $425 | $414 | −$11 |
| Utilities | $236 | $230 | −$6 |
| Everything else | $330 | $322 | −$8 |
| Left over | $2,980 | $2,657 | −$323 |
To break even in St. Louis, you'd need to earn
$97,000
Household gross, versus $90,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Wausau does now.
The tax difference alone
−$590
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.4% in Wausau, 25.1% in St. Louis.
More about St. Louis
Wausau, WI in full
State income tax topping out at 7.65%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $926 and 190 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
St. Louis, MO in full
The lowest home prices of any metro over 2 million people.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from St. Louis on St. Louis wages.
St. Louis → Wausau →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in St. Louis than Wausau?
A one-bedroom is about $778 in Wausau versus $1,144 in St. Louis. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $323 a month lower in St. Louis. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
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 Wausau to St. Louis?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Missouri tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.