Tulsa, OK vs St. Louis, MO: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

Tulsa, OK and St. Louis, MO have about the same overall cost index in our saved model.

Tulsa, OK · modeled 2BR rent
$1,225 / 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 Tulsa, OK 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

$
Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated savings: $34.65/month in St. Louis, MO

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $149,584 in St. Louis, MO

Regional cost estimates: Tulsa, OK uses Tulsa, OK Metropolitan Area. St. Louis, MO uses St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Area. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.
Overall Cost
→ 0.0%
Same cost
Monthly Impact
$34.65
Savings
Annual Impact
$416
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.

Tulsa, OK

Population:413K
Cost Index:
87.0
100 = national average
Typical Home:$187K

St. Louis, MO

Population:302K
Cost Index:
87.0
100 = national average
Typical Home:$145K

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Tulsa, OK

The Sooner State

413K
Population
State Tax
Yes

Located in Oklahoma, this city has a population of 413K 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: Tulsa, OK 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.

Other
↓ 4.0%
Tulsa, OK
$1,864
St. Louis, MO
$1,789
Difference
$74.55
less
All Utilities
↑ 10.1%
Tulsa, OK
$541
St. Louis, MO
$596
Difference
$54.75
more
Groceries
↑ 4.4%
Tulsa, OK
$1,012
St. Louis, MO
$1,057
Difference
$44.50
more
Transportation
↓ 2.2%
Tulsa, OK
$1,384
St. Louis, MO
$1,354
Difference
$30.42
less
Housing
↓ 1.4%
Tulsa, OK
$2,112
St. Louis, MO
$2,083
Difference
$28.93
less
Healthcare
→ 0.0%
Tulsa, OK
$586
St. Louis, MO
$586
Difference
$0
same

🏛️ Local Income Taxes

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

Tulsa, OK 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$940
To$910
↓ $30.00
1 Bed
From$995
To$950
↓ $45.00
2 Bed
From$1,225
To$1,160
↓ $65.00
3 Bed
From$1,615
To$1,490
↓ $125
Tulsa, OKZIP-level data

1BR range: $780–$1,360/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 Tulsa, OK
$7,465
Monthly in St. Louis, MO
$34.65
Difference

Home Values

Tulsa
St. Louis
$187K
Median Value
$145K
↑ +2.1%
YoY Change
↓ -0.8%
↑ +37%
5-Year Change
↑ +10.9%
$82K - $419K
Price Range
$38K - $302K

Homes in St. Louis are 23% less expensive than Tulsa

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

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings
↓ $650
More taxes
Monthly Difference
$54.16
Less take-home
Effective Rate Diff
0.4%
Rate difference

Tulsa, OK

Federal Income Tax
Effective: 18.9%
$25.5K
Oklahoma State Tax
Effective: 4.9%
$7.3K
FICA Taxes
Social Security + Medicare
$11.5K
Total Taxes
Effective: 29.5%
$44.3K
Take-Home Pay
$8,809/month
$105.7K

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

Tulsa, OK Tax Rates

Sales Tax:8.9%
Property Tax:0.9%

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.

🚶 Walkability

Modeled road attributes, not a safety assessment. Methodology and limitations

Environment

Tulsa
St. Louis
51 Moderate
Air Quality
54 Moderate
48.4%
Good Air Days
38%
98 High
Climate Risk
99 High
🌊🌡🌪
Top Hazards
🌊🌡🫨
▲+3.0°F
2050 Outlook
▲+3.0°F
61 days
Heat Days >95°F
39 days
▲+3.0°F
2050 Outlook
▲+3.0°F
61 days
Heat Days >95°F
39 days

Before moving from Tulsa, OK to St. Louis, MO

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

  1. Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in St. Louis, MO for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in Tulsa, OK. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your Tulsa 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: Tulsa, OK vs St. Louis, MO

How do the cost estimates for Tulsa, OK and St. Louis, MO compare?

Tulsa, OK and St. Louis, MO have about the same overall cost index in our saved model. 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 Tulsa, OK, the model estimates $149,584 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 Tulsa, OK and St. Louis, MO?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $1,225/month in Tulsa, OK 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 Oklahoma and Missouri on TaxTakeHome.com

Where your money goes further

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