City comparison
Chicago, IL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 8.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $108,900 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.3% moving from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO ($118,984 → $109,137), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,788 in St. Louis | $108,946 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
97 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
42 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Chicago → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $63,288 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,573 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,779 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $109,137 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,967 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | $106,420 | $115,941 (−7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $129,030 | $140,574 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $78,880 | $85,937 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,180 | $90,622 (−9.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.