Living Cost Compare
Manchester

New Hampshire

$1,430/mo est.

vs
St. Louis

Missouri

$1,030/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,430 in Manchester, NH versus $1,030 in St. Louis, MO. Overall, St. Louis, MO is roughly 28% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Manchester, NH, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $77,415 in Manchester, NH and $55,279 in St. Louis, MO — about 29% higher in Manchester, NH. New Hampshire has no state income tax and no state sales tax; Missouri has a top state income tax rate of 4.70% and a 4.225% state sales tax.

Manchester, NH
St. Louis, MO

Rent

Studio
$880
$864
+2% in Manchester, NH
1 Bedroom
$1,150
$866
+25% in Manchester, NH
2 Bedroom
$1,593
$1,109
+30% in Manchester, NH
3 Bedroom
$1,661
$1,135
+32% in Manchester, NH

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$336,300
$185,100
+45% in Manchester, NH

Income

Median Household Income
$77,415
$55,279
+29% in Manchester, NH
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$56,530
$49,990
+12% in Manchester, NH

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
37.9 yr
36.6 yr
+1.3 yr in Manchester, NH
Homeownership
49.3%
45.4%
+3.9 pp in Manchester, NH
Bachelor's+ (25+)
33.5%
40.2%
+6.7 pp in St. Louis, MO
Avg Commute
23.8 min
22.2 min
+1.6 min in Manchester, NH

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
339.5
1,372.9
+304% in St. Louis, MO
Property Crime
1,691.4
5,794.9
+243% in St. Louis, MO

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
49.2°F
55.7°F
+6.5°F in St. Louis, MO
Annual Precipitation
44.6 in
40.9 in
+3.6 in in Manchester, NH

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.86/gal
$3.94/gal
+2% in St. Louis, MO

Area: East Coast (PADD 1) vs Midwest (PADD 2).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
27.3
13.7
+50% in Manchester, NH
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$24.53
$24.13
+2% in Manchester, NH

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.31
$4.31
about equal
Bread (lb)
$1.92
$1.66
+14% in Manchester, NH
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$3.63
+66% in St. Louis, MO
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.90
$6.77
+2% in Manchester, NH
Chicken (lb)
$2.19
$2.10
+4% in Manchester, NH
Bananas (lb)
$0.69
$0.62
+11% in Manchester, NH

Average prices — Northeast vs Midwest (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (NH / MO)
None
4.225%
+4.2 pp in MO
Income Tax (top rate)
None
4.70%
+4.7 pp in MO

Manchester vs St. Louis — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Manchester or St. Louis?
St. Louis, MO is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,030 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 28% below Manchester, NH's $1,430, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Manchester than in St. Louis?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $46,000 a year in Manchester versus $35,000 in St. Louis.
Which has lower taxes, Manchester or St. Louis?
Manchester is taxed under New Hampshire's rules (no state income tax and no state sales tax); St. Louis under Missouri's (a top state income tax rate of 4.70% and a 4.225% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).