Cost of Living Data Series

Missouri had the 6th lowest cost of living in the United States for 2022. In general, the most expensive areas to live were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were the Midwest and Southern states. 

MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state. Missouri’s cost of living index for 2022 was 89.1.

Cities across the nation participate in the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER) survey on a volunteer basis. Price information in the survey is governed by C2ER collection guidelines which strive for uniformity.

Cost of Living Map of United States JPG

2022 Annual Average Cost of Living

Rank State Index  Grocery Housing Utilities Transportation Health  Misc.
1 Mississippi  85.0 92.4 67.4 89.0 91.9 97.7 91.6
2 Oklahoma  85.8 93.7 70.2 95.1 90.9 91.2 90.4
3 Kansas  87.5 93.7 71.1 98.0 95.6 100.4 91.6
4 Alabama  88.1 97.6 69.6 100.7 89.9 89.6 95.0
5 Georgia  88.6 94.6 75.6 90.3 89.8 94.6 95.1
6 Missouri  89.1 95.4 79.9 94.8 91.8 92.3 91.3
7 Iowa  89.2 99.5 71.5 93.7 95.8 100.0 94.8
8 Indiana  89.9 93.7 77.4 104.0 94.0 95.5 92.9
9 West Virginia  90.0 98.7 68.8 94.4 111.2 101.8 95.3
10 Tennessee  90.2 94.4 81.7 93.8 90.5 89.9 94.2
11 Arkansas  90.6 92.7 77.9 97.5 91.9 82.0 99.3
12 Ohio  91.9 99.0 75.3 94.3 96.5 97.6 99.9
13 Nebraska  91.9 97.4 83.0 87.1 98.9 103.4 94.8
14 Michigan  92.2 91.6 81.1 98.9 98.7 97.5 97.5
15 Texas  92.5 90.3 84.7 102.7 92.4 94.8 96.9
16 Wyoming  92.5 103.2 82.4 82.5 97.8 96.0 96.9
17 Illinois  92.6 98.5 82.0 92.7 105.8 98.4 94.5
18 Louisiana  93.6 97.4 86.7 87.3 96.6 100.7 97.5
19 New Mexico  94.0 98.6 88.4 89.6 98.6 100.9 95.6
20 South Carolina  94.3 100.3 81.6 110.6 90.9 95.8 98.2
21 South Dakota  94.5 104.3 92.9 89.8 92.3 94.6 92.9
22 Kentucky  94.9 93.5 77.3 106.1 105.3 79.0 106.7
23 Wisconsin  95.5 97.5 85.3 103.4 95.2 116.8 97.9
24 North Carolina  95.7 97.7 90.0 95.3 91.0 109.1 99.0
25 North Dakota  97.1 102.4 90.7 98.7 99.0 113.8 96.8
26 Minnesota  97.5 100.7 84.7 97.3 99.4 112.3 104.0
27 Pennsylvania  98.2 104.6 88.1 108.9 104.7 96.4 99.4
28 Idaho  99.6 96.3 104.8 80.6 112.6 93.1 99.4
29 Grand  100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
30 Utah  102.8 100.2 107.9 92.3 108.0 91.9 102.9
31 Virginia  102.8 96.1 110.2 99.5 95.9 103.9 102.3
32 Florida  102.8 105.4 108.5 101.3 98.7 97.3 99.2
33 Nevada  103.2 104.2 115.5 94.6 115.2 96.4 92.7
34 Colorado  104.6 95.3 119.8 91.1 101.7 96.0 101.9
35 Montana  104.8 100.9 117.6 84.3 106.8 97.1 102.1
36 Delaware  105.6 105.3 105.3 94.3 114.6 105.0 106.9
37 Arizona  105.8 101.5 120.6 100.4 101.3 95.2 99.6
38 New Jersey  112.4 106.2 131.8 108.1 106.6 95.1 104.3
39 Rhode Island  112.9 98.4 117.9 124.7 109.4 103.4 114.7
40 Washington  114.2 108.5 126.0 88.4 114.1 120.6 113.1
41 Maine  115.3 103.4 125.0 105.0 118.1 100.6 116.9
42 Vermont  115.9 106.2 132.3 122.3 118.3 110.1 105.3
43 New Hampshire  116.1 105.3 109.7 114.4 106.9 130.6 127.2
44 Connecticut  116.8 103.0 125.5 130.3 109.8 104.8 115.8
45 Oregon  121.2 107.9 147.5 106.7 132.4 104.2 109.0
46 Maryland  124.0 111.4 164.0 106.7 103.1 87.7 111.7
47 Alaska  126.6 134.1 121.3 146.2 118.0 154.4 120.4
48 New York  134.5 112.3 193.9 99.5 109.0 104.1 115.7
49 California  137.6 115.2 193.8 124.5 129.1 110.5 110.9
50 Massachusetts  149.7 114.0 223.8 124.8 128.1 119.8 121.1
51 District of Columbia  152.2 109.3 251.5 112.6 108.5 99.1 118.8
52 Hawaii  184.0 150.1 313.5 141.4 125.7 118.1 127.5
US  *** 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

All of the participating Missouri cities had a composite index below the national average for 2022. The city with the lowest cost of living index for 2022 was Joplin with an index of 82.0 The city with the highest cost of living was Columbia, with an index of 95.0. 

Cost of Living Indices for Participating Missouri Cities - Annual Average 2022

Metro Index Grocery Housing Utilities Transport. Health Misc.
Joplin, Mo 82.0 91.4 62.5 97.5 94.1 92.9 85.2
St. Louis MO-IL      86.3 97.4 74.1 93.0 90.3 88.9 88.2
Springfield, MO 87.4 95.9 74.5 86.2 89.1 99.2 92.5
Missouri  89.1 95.4 79.9 94.8 91.8 92.3 91.3
Kansas City MO-KS  94.9 92.4 102.4 101.6

86.4

88.5 91.2
Columbia, MO 95.0 99.9 86.1 95.6 99.0 91.8 99.5
US Average   100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Cost of Living for Selected Missouri Cities Annual Average 2022 Jpg

See https://www.c2er.org/ for details and more data products.