How does cost of living in Illinois compare to the rest of the US? Here’s a breakdown

Illinois is among the 15 most expensive states to live in the U.S., according to a ranking from online pharmacy store Now Patient. High prices for gas and gym memberships contributed to the Land of Lincoln’s overall ranking in the “US Costly States” comparison.

The Now Patient ranking was based on metrics such as gas prices, cost of groceries, funeral costs, a cost of living score, health insurance prices and the cost of gym memberships.

Sources included World Population Review, auto club AAA, Zippia, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Value Penguin and Statista, according to Now Patient.

The category in which Illinois ranked the highest was for gasoline costs — the Land of Lincoln has a higher motor fuel tax than most other states, at $0.454 per gallon. (The tax has regularly increased since at least 2017). For comparison, Missouri’s motor fuel tax is $0.245 per gallon, while Indiana’s is $0.34 per gallon.

Despite Illinois’ high ranking for expensive gas, fuel costs were down 19.9% across the country as of July from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Illinois also stood out for its gym membership costs. The average monthly bill is $30.60 in Illinois, Now Patient reports, compared to $30.10 in Missouri.

Cost of living in Illinois

Here’s how Illinois performed in Now Patient’s ranking:

• Funeral costs: 29th place, $7,419 average funeral cost

• Gas prices: 8th place, $3.854 per gallon

• Cost of groceries: 31st place, $327.31 average grocery cost per month per person

• Cost of living score (includes housing costs, utilities and more): 40th place, score of 90.8

• Health insurance: 20th place, $561

• Gym membership: 8th place, $30.60

• Overall place: 15th

Another major expense for many Illinois families, not included in the Now Patient analysis, is child care. Illinois families spend an average of more than $13,000 each year for center-based infant care, more than 50% of the typical income for a single parent, according to nonprofit organization Child Care Aware.

Parents with qualified incomes can receive a larger earned income tax credit depending on how many children they have, and some state legislators are aiming to implement a permanent child tax credit in Illinois. Despite the high sticker price for child care in Illinois, there are avenues for financial assistance for qualifying individuals, including the Child Care Assistance Program, Illinois Head Start and Preschool for All.

A 2022 ranking from financial website WalletHub named the Land of Lincoln the fifth best state in the country for millennials to live, citing affordability as a key factor. But the state’s minimum wage is not enough to support a single person with no children in St. Clair County, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator.

Illinois’ minimum wage is $13 per hour for non-tipped workers and $7.80 an hour for tipped workers. The state minimum wages will increase to $14 and $8.40 respectively Jan. 1, 2024, but will still fall short of the $16.50 MIT says a single person without children needs to afford basic necessities.

Cost of living in Missouri

Here’s how Missouri performed in Now Patient’s ranking:

• Funeral costs: 46th place, $6,885

• Gas prices: 42nd place, $3.235 per gallon

• Cost of groceries: 39th place, $312.63

• Cost of living score: 47th place, score of 88.4

• Health insurance: 11th place, $626

• Gym membership: 16th place, $30.10

• Overall place: 42nd