Denver vs St. Louis Cost of Living
St. Louis is approximately 15.7% cheaper than Denver. See salary equivalence, taxes, and side-by-side breakdown.
Denver, CO
St. Louis, MO
| Salary in Denver | Equivalent in St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $42,100 | -$7,900 (-15.8%) |
| $75,000 | $63,200 | -$11,800 (-15.7%) |
| $100,000 | $84,300 | -$15,700 (-15.7%) |
| $150,000 | $126,400 | -$23,600 (-15.7%) |
| $200,000 | $168,500 | -$31,500 (-15.8%) |
Denver is roughly 16% more expensive overall, and housing is doing almost all of the work: a one-bedroom runs $1,550 in Denver against $950 in St. Louis.
Housing does most of the damage
Strip out housing and most US metros cost about the same. Housing is where the difference lives. A one-bedroom runs about $1,550 a month in Denver and $950 in St. Louis — $600 a month apart, or $7,200 a year.
Ownership widens the gap. $585,000 buys the median home in Denver; $240,000 does in St. Louis. The down payment alone differs by roughly $69,000, and that is before Colorado and Missouri property tax rates diverge.
The price-to-rent ratios diverge enough to change the buy-versus-rent answer: about 21 in St. Louis versus 31 in Denver. Below roughly 15, buying tends to win over a normal holding period; above roughly 20, renting and investing the difference usually does. Which means the right answer can genuinely be to buy in one and rent in the other.
Taxes the index leaves out
There is a city-level tax to account for as well: St. Louis charges about 1.00% local income tax, while Denver charges none. On $100,000 that is roughly $1,000 a year, deducted before you ever see it and easy to miss when comparing two offers.
Work, weather, and what else is different
Denver is a large metro of about 3.0M and growing steadily; St. Louis is a large metro of about 2.8M and roughly flat.
Both metros have real employment in healthcare, which matters if you want to move without changing careers — your experience is legible to employers in both. Denver also leans on aerospace and technology, with employers like Lockheed Martin and UCHealth. St. Louis leans on financial services and biotech, with BJC HealthCare and Boeing.
Weather is not a rounding error when you actually live somewhere. Denver: January highs near 45°F/lows near 19°F with dry snow; July highs near 90°F/lows near 60°F, low humidity, over 300 sunny days a year. St. Louis: Continental climate with cold winters near 22°F lows and hot humid summers with July highs near 90°F.
No local income tax, but Denver charges a flat monthly Occupational Privilege Tax (~$5.75/employee) on anyone working in the city, and elevation (5,280 ft) affects some newcomers physically. City of St. Louis levies a 1% earnings tax on residents and on nonresidents who work in the city, on top of Missouri state income tax.
Overall cost ratios come from BEA Regional Price Parities. Housing figures track published market data and local tax rates come from the municipalities themselves. How these are compiled and updated.
Related tools
Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — hourly and annual conversion. Mortgage calculator — what a home in either metro actually costs monthly. Guide: the true cost of relocating.