Is it cheaper to live in St. Louis or Salt Lake City?

St. Louis, MO is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,030 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 21% below Salt Lake City, UT's $1,300, mainly because of rent.

How much more do you need to earn to live in St. Louis than in Salt Lake City?

To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $35,000 a year in St. Louis versus $47,000 in Salt Lake City.

Which has lower taxes, St. Louis or Salt Lake City?

St. Louis is taxed under Missouri's rules (a top state income tax rate of 4.70% and a 4.225% state sales tax); Salt Lake City under Utah's (a top state income tax rate of 4.50% and a 6.1% state sales tax).

St. Louis vs Salt Lake City Cost of Living 2026

St. Louis

Missouri

$1,030/mo est.

Salt Lake City

Utah

$1,300/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,030 in St. Louis, MO versus $1,300 in Salt Lake City, UT. Overall, St. Louis, MO is roughly 21% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Salt Lake City, UT, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $55,279 in St. Louis, MO and $74,925 in Salt Lake City, UT — about 26% higher in Salt Lake City, UT. Missouri has a top state income tax rate of 4.70% and a 4.225% state sales tax; Utah has a top state income tax rate of 4.50% and a 6.1% state sales tax.

St. Louis, MO

Salt Lake City, UT

Rent

Studio

$864

$997

+15% in Salt Lake City, UT

1 Bedroom

$866

$1,166

+35% in Salt Lake City, UT

2 Bedroom

$1,109

$1,461

+32% in Salt Lake City, UT

3 Bedroom

$1,135

$1,993

+76% in Salt Lake City, UT

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$185,100

$495,700

+168% in Salt Lake City, UT

Income

Median Household Income

$55,279

$74,925

+36% in Salt Lake City, UT

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$49,990

$55,240

+11% in Salt Lake City, UT

People & Lifestyle

Median Age

36.6 yr

33.0 yr

+3.6 yr in St. Louis, MO

Homeownership

45.4%

46.8%

+1.4 pp in Salt Lake City, UT

Bachelor's+ (25+)

40.2%

50.9%

+10.7 pp in Salt Lake City, UT

Avg Commute

22.2 min

19.6 min

+2.6 min in St. Louis, MO

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime

1,372.9

878.8

+36% in St. Louis, MO

Property Crime

5,794.9

5,257.3

+9% 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

55.7°F

52.8°F

+2.9°F in St. Louis, MO

Annual Precipitation

40.9 in

16.1 in

+24.8 in in St. Louis, MO

Gas

Regular Gasoline

$3.94/gal

$4.29/gal

+9% in Salt Lake City, UT

Area: Midwest (PADD 2) vs Rocky Mountain (PADD 4).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)

13.7

13.0

+5% in St. Louis, MO

Natural Gas ($/MCF)

$24.13

$10.26

+57% in St. Louis, MO

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

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.31

$4.82

+12% in Salt Lake City, UT

Bread (lb)

$1.66

$2.04

+23% in Salt Lake City, UT

Eggs (doz)

$3.63

$2.19

+40% in St. Louis, MO

Ground Beef (lb)

$6.77

$7.36

+9% in Salt Lake City, UT

Chicken (lb)

$2.10

$2.01

+4% in St. Louis, MO

Bananas (lb)

$0.62

$0.70

+14% in Salt Lake City, UT

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

State Taxes

Sales Tax (MO / UT)

4.225%

6.1%

+1.9 pp in UT

Income Tax (top rate)

4.70%

4.50%

+0.2 pp in MO

St. Louis vs Salt Lake City — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in St. Louis or Salt Lake City?: St. Louis, MO is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,030 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 21% below Salt Lake City, UT's $1,300, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in St. Louis than in Salt Lake City?: To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $35,000 a year in St. Louis versus $47,000 in Salt Lake City.
Which has lower taxes, St. Louis or Salt Lake City?: St. Louis is taxed under Missouri's rules (a top state income tax rate of 4.70% and a 4.225% state sales tax); Salt Lake City under Utah's (a top state income tax rate of 4.50% and a 6.1% 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).