Cost of Living in Kansas City, KS

An Overview of Cost of Living in Kansas City, KS

Getting a feel for the cost of living in Kansas City is essential for anyone planning to relocate, as it empowers them to make informed financial decisions, secure a comfortable lifestyle and maintain financial stability in their new environment. The cost of living in Kansas City is 86, which is 14% lower than the national average. Relocating individuals may need to adjust their savings and investment strategies based on the cost of living in the new location. It influences decisions about retirement planning, investments and financial goals.

Is Kansas City Affordable?

Is Kansas City an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Kansas City, the median home price is 45.2% lower than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 7.1% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Kansas City come in at $46,424, which is 16.1% lower than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Kansas City?

Transportation: In cities with limited or no public transportation, residents may find it necessary to own and maintain vehicles, thereby elevating the cost of living. Monthly expenditures include fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potential lease or financing commitments. In Kansas City, the transportation index stands at 11.1% lower than the national average.

Housing: When there's a high demand for housing in trendy places, it can cause property prices and rental rates to soar, leading to a significantly higher cost of living. Conversely, in less desirable locations, where demand is low, prices tend to decrease, resulting in a more budget-friendly cost of living. In Kansas City, the housing index is 33.7% lower than the national average.

Urbanization: Larger, urban areas boasting abundant amenities and robust employment prospects often exhibit a heightened cost of living, driven by the increased demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural locales or regions marked by diminished demand typically offer a more limited range of amenities and experience slower job market expansion. This translates into a more affordable cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Kansas City cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.