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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Missouri

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Missouri from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 8 metro areas.

90.8
Statewide RPP
#39
of 51 states by cost
69.9
Rents RPP
8
Metro areas

The verdict

Missouri costs less than 76% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 90.8, 9.2% below the national average.

90.8
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#39
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 24%
nationally, among all states
69.9
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $110,112 when earned in Missouri.

Reading the Missouri Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Missouri's statewide Regional Price Parity at 90.8 for the 2024 data year, 9.2% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 69.9. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Missouri captures 8 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. St. Louis, MO-IL leads on cost at 95.1, while Joplin, MO-KS sits at the opposite end at 85.7 — a gap of 9.4 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 96.3, for services 79.4, and for rents 69.9 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Missouri's statewide index has climbed by 2.4 points, meaning the cost gap between this state and cheaper parts of the country has widened. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $110,112 of national buying power when earned inside Missouri, and a household relocating here would need roughly $90,817 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

90.8
Overall
96.3
Goods
79.4
Services
69.9
Rents

Missouri vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

91 Top 76% higher than 24% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Above this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Missouri → Cheapest in Missouri →

Metro areas in Missouri, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 St. Louis 95.1 100.0 69.9 79.0
2 Kansas City 92.5 94.1 89.0 86.6
3 Columbia 89.4 94.2 86.0 69.2
4 Springfield 88.6 94.2 85.8 65.6
5 Jefferson City 88.0 94.2 85.5 62.1
6 St. Joseph 86.4 94.2 88.3 55.4
7 Cape Girardeau 86.1 94.2 85.6 56.4
8 Joplin 85.7 94.2 85.9 54.0

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 88.4
2009 90.5
2010 93.1
2011 92.5
2012 92.4
2013 92.8
2014 93.4
2015 92.3
2016 91.7
2017 91.7
2018 91.8
2019 92.5
2020 92.2
2021 92.0
2022 91.0
2023 91.1
2024 90.8

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Missouri? ▼
Missouri has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 90.8, meaning it is 9.2% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.3, services at 79.4, and rents at 69.9.
What salary in Missouri equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $90,817 in Missouri. Conversely, $100K earned in Missouri has the purchasing power of $110,112 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Missouri? ▼
Rents in Missouri are indexed at 69.9, which is 30.1% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Missouri? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Missouri is St. Louis, MO-IL with an RPP of 95.1. The most affordable is Joplin, MO-KS at 85.7. There are 8 metro areas in Missouri with BEA price data.
Is Missouri getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Missouri's overall cost index changed by +2.4 points (from 88.4 to 90.8). The cost of living has been trending upward.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.