Moving to Missouri from Ohio
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ohio to Missouri — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ohio to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 1.2% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $74,902 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 76°F in Columbus, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ohio to Missouri.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,902
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 1.1% more
Groceries
pay 7.6% more
Transportation
pay 2.2% more
Housing
pay 1.0% more
Childcare
pay 5.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.0% less
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ohio to Missouri.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Ohio performs 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
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Missouri leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Ohio performs better than Missouri across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Ohio 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
Ohio generally does better on family life, though Missouri leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Columbus | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbus | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Ohio?
Costs in Missouri and Ohio are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,726 in Missouri on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Missouri safe?
Ohio performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Ohio?
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Ohio?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in.
