Moving to Illinois from Missouri
What to Expect
Considering a move from Missouri to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Missouri to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 13.4% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $83,090 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Missouri and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $83,090
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.8% more
Groceries
pay 0.4% more
Transportation
pay 1.5% more
Housing
pay 13.4% more
Childcare
pay 37.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Missouri.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Illinois performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri performs better than Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri generally does better on infrastructure, though Illinois leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Illinois performs significantly better than Missouri across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Missouri?
On average Illinois is around 11% pricier than Missouri, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $20,772 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Illinois safe?
Illinois performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Missouri?
Illinois generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
