CostIndexUSA

Gainesville, FL vs St. Louis, MO Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

FL
Gainesville
96.7
overall index
$1,650/mo rent
More AffordableMO
St. Louis
95.1
overall index
$1,400/mo rent

St. Louis is slightly cheaper than Gainesville — 1.7% lower overall cost of living.

To match an $80,000 salary in Gainesville, you would need $78,700 in St. Louis. Calculate your salary ↓

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing15.1%
Gainesville
93
St. Louis
79
🛒 Groceries+4.0%
Gainesville
96.2
St. Louis
100
🚗 Transportation≈ Equal
Gainesville
103.8
St. Louis
103.6
🏥 Healthcare≈ Equal
Gainesville
93.9
St. Louis
93.7
Utilities20.7%
Gainesville
88.2
St. Louis
69.9

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Gainesville to see what you'd need to earn in St. Louis to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in St. Louis, MO
$78,700
$1,300 less needed in St. Louis

Formula: salary × (95.1 ÷ 96.7) = salary × 0.9835. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Gainesville, FL

Median Home Price
$294,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,650
Housing Index
93
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

St. Louis, MO

Median Home Price
$262,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,400
Housing Index
79
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.6×

Gainesville has 15.1% lower housing costs compared to St. Louis.

Income & Job Market

Gainesville, FL

Median Household Income
$59,300
Per Capita Income
$33,800
Unemployment Rate
4%
Population
140,003
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyGovernmentResearch

St. Louis, MO

Median Household Income
$78,200
Per Capita Income
$44,600
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Population
319,294
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceManufacturingTechnologyEducation

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Gainesville, FL
3.0×income-to-rent ratio

67% of income left after rent (median)

St. Louis, MO
4.7×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.