City comparison
Miami, FL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 20.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $120,100 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Miami, FL to St. Louis, MO ($113,356 → $109,137), while prices change by −16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.6% in real buying power.
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much 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
| Miami, FL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 114.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,297 in St. Louis | $120,052 in Miami |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,995/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,640 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Miami | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 155.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 103.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 109.1 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 114.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Miami, FL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
30 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Miami, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Miami, FL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Miami, FL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Miami → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $63,288 | +15.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $76,573 | +15.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $91,779 | +15.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $109,137 | +15.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $128,967 | +15.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Miami, FL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Miami dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,300 | $60,650 | $72,812 (+24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,650 | $129,030 | $154,903 (+16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,920 | $78,880 | $94,697 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $91,380 | $83,180 | $99,859 (+9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.