Kansas City cost of living
Prices in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area run at 92.5 against a national average of 100, ranking it #230 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 86.6.
What drives the number
Prices in Kansas City run at 92.5 where the national average is 100, so about 7.5 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #230 of 387 metro areas. Against Missouri as a whole it is 1.7 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 94.1, rents at 86.6, other services at 89.0. Goods are close to national almost everywhere, because most are shipped and priced nationally, so it is worth noticing when rents behave the same way. Goods at 94.1 are themselves 5.9 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 92.5 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Kansas City is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 29,820 | $86,590 | $93,611 | $102,950 |
| Registered Nurses | 28,180 | $82,630 | $89,330 | $93,600 |
| Retail Salespersons | 24,630 | $33,840 | $36,584 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 24,210 | $29,820 | $32,238 | $31,190 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,750 | $42,680 | $46,141 | $42,830 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 22,980 | $36,950 | $39,946 | $37,090 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 21,170 | $29,380 | $31,762 | $30,480 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 21,170 | $40,370 | $43,643 | $38,940 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 92.5.
Nearby metro areas
Kansas City: common questions
Is Kansas City expensive?
Prices are 7.5% below the national average, a parity of 92.5 where the country is 100. It ranks #230 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Missouri as a whole it is 1.7 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Kansas City?
The median worker there earns $49,480, which buys what $53,492 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 86.6 against goods at 94.1. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.