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Cost of Living: New York vs Kansas City

How expensive is Kansas City compared with New York City? Overall prices, rent, goods, utilities and services in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area versus the New York metro area, plus the salary you’d need to live the same way.

Kansas City is 18% cheaper than New York
Cost of living index 82 (New York metro = 100) · 2024

Salary converter

Same lifestyle in Kansas City
$82,214
You’d need $17,786 less per year
≈ $99,739 in New York buys the same standard of living.

Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.

Where the difference comes from

Rent & housing
42% cheaper
Goods (groceries, clothing, etc.)
15% cheaper
Utilities
30% cheaper
Other services (healthcare, dining, transport…)
12% cheaper
New York metroKansas City metro

Bars show each category’s price level relative to the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). Rent is usually the biggest driver.

The numbers

Metro area
Kansas City, MO-KS
Price level vs US average
92.5 (New York: 112.6)
Rent vs US average
86.6 (New York: 148.6)
Source
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024

Frequently asked questions

Is Kansas City cheaper than New York?

Yes. Kansas City is 18% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 82, New York = 100).

What salary in Kansas City equals $100,000 in New York?

About $82,214 a year buys the same standard of living in Kansas City as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.

How do rents in Kansas City compare with New York?

Rents and housing costs in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area are 42% cheaper than the New York metro area (BEA, 2024).

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, which compare the price of the same basket of goods, rents, utilities and services across US metro areas.

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