Milton, WI vs St. Louis, MO: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

St. Louis, MO has a modeled overall cost index 9.2% lower than Milton, WI.

Milton, WI · modeled 2BR rent: $1,210 / month
St. Louis, MO · modeled 2BR rent: $1,160 / month

These are saved estimates, not current rental listings. Some cities use adjusted regional data. Your household budget can differ from the overall index. Sources and assumptions

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Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare Milton, WI and St. Louis, MO using saved regional data and explicit budgeting assumptions. Rent estimates are not live listings. Change the salary below, then check the source notes before applying a result to your household.

Saved regional estimates · Sources and assumptions

Current salary in Milton, WI

Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated savings: $581/month in St. Louis, MO

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $143,023 in St. Louis, MO

Regional cost estimates: Milton, WI uses Madison, WI. St. Louis, MO uses St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Area. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.

Overall Cost

↓ 9.2%

Less expensive

Monthly Impact

$581

Savings

Annual Impact

$7.0K

Per year

Assumes 60% of current gross income goes to living costs. The headline uses the category budget below; taxes, moving costs and savings goals are excluded.

Milton, WI

Population:6K

Cost Index:

95.8

100 = national average

Typical Home:$363K

St. Louis, MO

Population:302K

Cost Index:

87.0

100 = national average

Typical Home:$145K

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Milton, WI

The Badger State

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Wisconsin, this city has a population of 6K residents.

St. Louis, MO

The Show-Me State

302K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Missouri, this city has a population of 302K residents.

Cost Breakdown by Category

Estimated monthly spending: Milton, WI vs St. Louis, MO

Assumes 60% of your current gross income is spent on these categories. The headline and totals use this same budget. Rent estimates below are separate reference data. Rounded amounts may differ by $1.

Category	Milton, WI	St. Louis, MO	Difference	Change
Housing	$2,334/mo	$1,931/mo	↓ $404less	17.3%
Healthcare	$708/mo	$543/mo	↓ $165less	23.3%
Transportation	$1,325/mo	$1,254/mo	↓ $70.26less	5.3%
All Utilities	$501/mo	$553/mo	↑ $51.66more	10.3%
Groceries	$945/mo	$979/mo	↑ $34.00more	3.6%
Other	$1,686/mo	$1,658/mo	↓ $28.24less	1.7%

Housing

↓ 17.3%

Milton, WI

$2,334

St. Louis, MO

$1,931

Difference

$404

less

Healthcare

↓ 23.3%

Milton, WI

$708

St. Louis, MO

$543

Difference

$165

less

Transportation

↓ 5.3%

Milton, WI

$1,325

St. Louis, MO

$1,254

Difference

$70.26

less

All Utilities

↑ 10.3%

Milton, WI

$501

St. Louis, MO

$553

Difference

$51.66

Groceries

↑ 3.6%

Milton, WI

$945

St. Louis, MO

$979

Difference

$34.00

Other

↓ 1.7%

Milton, WI

$1,686

St. Louis, MO

$1,658

Difference

$28.24

less

🏛️ Local Income Taxes

St. Louis, MO: St. Louis Earnings Tax$1,500/yr (1.0%)

Milton, WI has no local income tax recorded in this dataset.

Local taxes are shown separately and are not included in the living-cost totals. Coverage is incomplete; an absent entry does not establish that no tax applies.

🏠Rent Comparison

Studio

From$870

To$910

↑ $40.00

1 Bed

From$930

To$950

↑ $20.00

2 Bed

From$1,210

To$1,160

↓ $50.00

3 Bed

From$1,550

To$1,490

↓ $60.00

Milton, WIZIP-level data

1BR range: $930–$930/mo

St. Louis, MOZIP-level data

1BR range: $800–$1,480/mo

💡 Note: HUD Fair Market Rents estimate 40th-percentile gross rents, including most tenant-paid utilities. City ZIP summaries are medians of those estimates, not market median rents. Actual prices vary by neighborhood, amenities, and condition. Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026.

$7,500

Monthly in Milton, WI

$6,919

Monthly in St. Louis, MO

$581

Difference

Home Values

Milton

St. Louis

$363K

Median Value

$145K

↑ +6.5%

YoY Change

↓ -0.8%

↑ +51.1%

5-Year Change

↑ +10.9%

$363K

Price Range

$38K - $302K

Homes in St. Louis are 60% less expensive than Milton

Calculate payment - Milton Calculate payment - St. Louis

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), January 2026

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings

↑ $921

Per year

Monthly Difference

$76.74

More take-home

Effective Rate Diff

0.6%

Rate difference

Milton, WI

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Wisconsin State Tax

Effective: 5.9%

$8.8K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 30.6%

$45.9K

Take-Home Pay

$8,678/month

$104.1K

St. Louis, MO

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Missouri State Tax

Effective: 5.3%

$7.9K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 30.0%

$44.9K

Take-Home Pay

$8,755/month

$105.1K

Additional Tax Information

Milton, WI Tax Rates

Sales Tax:5.6%

Property Tax:1.8%

St. Louis, MO Tax Rates

Sales Tax:8.2%

Property Tax:1.0%

💡 Note: Tax calculations are estimates based on 2024/2025 tax brackets for single filers with standard deduction. Actual taxes may vary based on filing status, deductions, credits, and local variations.

Environment

Milton

St. Louis

42 Good

Air Quality

54 Moderate

72.1%

Good Air Days

38%

94 Moderate

Climate Risk

99 High

🌊🌪💨

Top Hazards

🌊🌡🫨

▲+3.4°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.0°F

10 days

Heat Days >95°F

39 days

▲+3.4°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.0°F

10 days

Heat Days >95°F

39 days

Before moving from Milton, WI to St. Louis, MO

Use this comparison to shortlist a move, then check the costs that depend on your household.

Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in St. Louis, MO for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in Milton, WI. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
Confirm your income. Check your expected pay with your employer, including any location adjustment. Use “Different salary at destination?” above to compare two incomes. The budget model excludes taxes and one-time moving costs; it is not a take-home-pay calculation.
Price your daily routine. Check the commute from a specific address to work, school or childcare. Add household expenses missing from this model, such as childcare, debt payments and medical needs. Verify local services before signing a lease.
Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your Milton to St. Louis moving checklist to organize the tasks and timing.

Still choosing a destination? Explore cities similar to St. Louis, MO by cost, housing, population and region.

Frequently Asked Questions: Milton, WI vs St. Louis, MO

How do the cost estimates for Milton, WI and St. Louis, MO compare?

St. Louis, MO has a modeled overall cost index 9.2% lower than Milton, WI. This is a broad model comparison, not a survey of today's prices or a forecast of your household spending. Some cities use adjusted regional fallback data.

What does the equivalent salary mean?

At a $150,000 salary in Milton, WI, the model estimates $143,023 in St. Louis, MO. It allocates 60% of gross income to the origin city’s category budget and applies each destination category’s relative cost. The equivalent salary adds the total category difference to your income. The monthly difference is the same category difference divided by 12; it is not take-home pay or guaranteed savings. Household size, childcare and your actual lease are not inputs to this calculation.

What rent estimates are available for Milton, WI and St. Louis, MO?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $1,210/month in Milton, WI and $1,160/month in St. Louis, MO. Where available, the source is a city median of HUD FY2026 ZIP-level estimates; otherwise a saved metro table is used. City adjustments may also apply. These are not asking rents or available listings. Compare actual properties with the same bedroom count and included utilities.

How should I use this comparison before moving?

Use it to shortlist locations, then replace modeled costs with a current housing quote, employer-confirmed income, commute costs, insurance and your household's other expenses. Add one-time moving costs separately. Source years differ and the saved datasets are not a live price feed. Read the methodology for the formulas and fallback rules.

💰 See how taxes change too — compare take-home pay between Wisconsin and Missouri on TaxTakeHome.com