Cost of living in Kansas City research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kansas City is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kansas City is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kansas City is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Kansas City ranks as the #88 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.
Kansas City ranks as the #1,658 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kansas City is $245,367.
The median income in Kansas City is $67,449.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kansas City has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, Kansas City has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Missouri's index of 88.
The standard of living in Kansas City ranks as #88 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Kansas City ranks as the #54 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in Kansas City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kansas City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kansas City is 93.
The Groceries index in Kansas City is 96.
The Health index in Kansas City is 86.
The Housing index in Kansas City is 95.
The Transportation index in Kansas City is 87.
The Utilities index in Kansas City is 110.
| Living Expense | Kansas City | Missouri | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 86 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 95 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 87 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kansas City is $245,367.
The Median Rent in Kansas City is $1,186.
The Median Income in Kansas City is $67,449.
The Home Value To Income in Kansas City is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kansas City is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Kansas City | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $245,367 | $257,929 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,186 | $996 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $67,449 | $68,920 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.6x | 3.7x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.17x | 0.21x |
| Item | Kansas City | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.42 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.03 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $15.57 | $18 |
| Haircut | $20.3 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $33.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | Kansas City | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.31 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.62 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.24 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.48 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.39 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.7 | $3.7 |
| Item | Kansas City | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $96.5 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $90.2 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $100.33 | $113.29 |
| Item | Kansas City | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.17 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $49.17 | $59.92 |
| Item | Kansas City | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $217.1 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $199.94 | $192.25 |