Jackson County · Missouri
Kansas City cost of living (MO)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Kansas City, MO-KS, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Kansas City costs 7.5% below the national average — all-items price level 92.5, rank 78 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $92,543 here. Housing is the reason, at 86.6.
- All items
- 92.5US average = 100
- Housing
- 86.613.4% below the national average
- Goods
- 94.15.9% below the national average
- Other services
- 93.46.6% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 94.1 | -5.9% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 86.6 | -13.4% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 89.0 | -11.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 93.4 | -6.6% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Kansas City price level
What the 92.5 figure actually means for a household here.
Kansas City prices sit 7.5% below the US average — an all-items parity of 92.5, rank 78 of 94 covered metros. Moderately below average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 86.6, 13.4% below average. Goods pull the other way at 94.1. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 7.5 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Kansas City do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $92,543 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $63,444 median household income in Kansas City is worth $68,556 in national-average dollars, 12.7% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Kansas City, MO-KS as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Kansas City, MO
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (92.5 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $68,556
- Needed to match US average
- $58,713
- Monthly difference
- $-394
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$63,444 median household income in Kansas City is worth $68,556 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 92.5.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Kansas City expensive?
- No — 7.5% below the US average, rank 78 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 86.6.
- What salary do you need to live in Kansas City, MO?
- $92,543 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $63,444, worth $68,556 after adjusting for the 92.5 price level.
- Why is the cost of living low in Kansas City?
- Housing at 86.6 versus goods at 94.1. A 7.5-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Kansas City data
Other Kansas City datasets on this site.
- Kansas City population and income
- Kansas City sales tax rate
- Kansas City property tax
- Kansas City home values and rent
- Kansas City crime rates
- Kansas City public schools
- Kansas City weather normals
- Kansas City commute times
- Kansas City jobs and wages
Statewide: Missouri cities · Missouri ZIP codes · Missouri sales tax · Missouri counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Kansas City, MO-KS. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.