Moving from St. Louis to Chicago
Your paycheck buys 8.6% less in Chicago than in St. Louis; you'd need about $88,800 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Chicago: $88,800
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $88,800 in Chicago, IL to match $80,000 in St. Louis, MO ($8,800 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Missouri and Illinois state income tax; includes St. Louis resident tax $800 (inside city limits).
Prices and housing cover the metro area; taxes use Missouri and Illinois, their principal states. A metro can span several states; living in its other state can change the tax result.
St. Louis vs Chicago: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,154 → $1,469/mo
- Median home value
- $268,300 → $339,700
- Median household income
- $81,679 → $90,770
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 95.1 → 103.6
- FEMA county-score mean
- Very high county-score mean (92.2 → 97.1 of 100)
St. Louis vs Chicago cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | St. Louis, MO | Chicago, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 95.1 | 103.6 |
| Median rent | $1,154 | $1,469 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $46,160 | $58,760 |
| Median home value | $268,300 | $339,700 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $1,854 | $2,506 |
| Income needed to buy | $79,440 | $107,402 |
| Median property tax | $3,014 | $6,461 |
| State income tax on $80,000 | $2,761 | $3,815 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $800 | None |
| Metro population | 2,809,527 | 9,406,924 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). The fixed tax rows above use an illustrative single-earner salary of $80,000, rounded from St. Louis's median household income. Household income can include multiple earners; it is not a typical individual wage. Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates typical suburban tax for living and working outside that tax area; a nonresident city tax for work inside the city is not modeled. A metro can span several states; residence in its other state can change the tax result.
- St. Louis, MO: City of St. Louis residents pay a 1% earnings tax (renewed by voters in April 2026). St. Louis County is not included. If you live outside the city but work in it, you still pay the 1% earnings tax on those wages. St. Louis County and the Illinois suburbs have no local income tax. Fixed examples inside the modeled tax area include this tax; calculator totals follow your city-limit selections.
Your yearly budget: St. Louis vs Chicago
This fixed budget example uses $80,000, single filing and residence inside the principal city tax areas. It does not change with the calculator above.
On an $80,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $42,583 a year in St. Louis and $47,540 in Chicago if you rent: $4,957 more after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $52,634 and $61,503 ($8,869 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | St. LouisBefore | ChicagoAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $80,000, single filer | $18,451 | $18,705 | +$254 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $1,153 | -$2 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $1,869 | $2,302 | +$433 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,260 | $7,752 | +$492 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $13,848 | $17,628 | +$3,780 |
| Total if you rent | $42,583 | $47,540 | +$4,957 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $17,553 | $22,224 | +$4,671 |
| Property tax median home | $3,014 | $6,461 | +$3,447 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,676 | $1,387 | -$289 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,656 | $1,519 | -$137 |
| Total if you buy | $52,634 | $61,503 | +$8,869 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $15,080 a year in St. Louis and $19,601 in Chicago (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Who moves from St. Louis to Chicago
About 1,259 households (1,618 people) moved from the St. Louis metro area to the Chicago metro area in 2022–2023, making Chicago the #1 destination for people leaving St. Louis among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,102 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $82,425.
Cost to move from St. Louis to Chicago
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $360–$900 |
| Moving container | $1,150–$2,250 |
| Full-service movers | $1,910–$5,500 |
Shipping a car instead of driving
Car shipping: $620–$940
Shipping a sedan from St. Louis to Chicago on an open carrier costs about $620–$940, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 300 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published mainland-to-Hawaii and mainland-to-Alaska prices. Reverse ocean routes reuse those inbound prices as a proxy, not a separately sourced price for that direction. The 25% SUV and 35% enclosed-carrier uplifts are model assumptions; ocean carrier packages and vehicle charges can differ. Not a quote.
Natural hazard risk: St. Louis vs Chicago
RelocateMath's population-weighted means of FEMA county risk scores are 92.2 for the St. Louis area and 97.1 for the Chicago area, on the county-score scale of 0–100. These means are not official FEMA metro ratings or national metro percentiles. Modeled expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $711 vs $443 per resident; individual properties can differ.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago cheaper than St. Louis?
Overall prices in the Chicago area are 8.9% higher than in St. Louis (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,469 vs $1,154 a month, and the median home is $339,700 vs $268,300.
What salary do I need in Chicago to match $100,000 in St. Louis?
About $110,400 in a fixed single-filer W-2 example assuming residence inside both principal cities. It accounts for 2026 federal and principal-state taxes, modeled resident local taxes where applicable, and metro prices. Uses Missouri and Illinois state income tax. This illustration stays fixed when calculator inputs change.
How much does it cost to move from St. Louis to Chicago?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 300 miles: roughly $360–$900 with a rental truck, $1,150–$2,250 with a container, or $1,910–$5,500 with full-service movers.
How many people move from St. Louis to Chicago?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,259 households (1,618 people) moved from the St. Louis metro area to the Chicago metro area, and 1,102 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from St. Louis move
- St. Louis to Dallas 1,016 households
- Kansas City 839 households
- Houston 558 households
- Phoenix 504 households
- Los Angeles 465 households
- Tampa 401 households
- New York 399 households
- Springfield 369 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing. Local-tax references retain their own publication or filing years. Some documents cover an earlier filing year; a source link is not a claim that every rule has just been rechecked.