What Does Life In Kansas City Cost Compared To Other Cities?
Cost of living is usually a factor in moving or relocating. One of the perks of life in Kansas City is that it is relatively inexpensive compared with other major metropolitan areas.
The following will give you an idea of how Kansas City’s cost-of-living stacks up against some of our favorite cities: San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, and St Louis.
| Location | Median Home Price |
| Kansas City | $275,000 |
| San Francisco | $1,000,000 |
| Denver | $398,000 |
| Los Angeles | $617,000 |
| Houston | $288,000 |
| Atlanta | $289,000 |
| Chicago | $432,000 |
| Nashville | $238,000 |
| St. Louis | $208,000 |
Data sources: ACCRA, Bankrate, LCC, Kiplinger
Keep in mind that cost-of-living calculations can be relative and are constantly changing.
Kansas City and San Francisco
San Francisco is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world. Certainly, the cost of a home in San Francisco bears this out, with the median price being over $1 million. The median home price in Kansas City is less than a third of what it is in San Francisco. In 2018, our team’s average listing closed at $275,000.
Overall, the cost of living in San Francisco is 87.5% higher than Kansas City. If you’re moving from The Golden Gate City to KC, you can expect your expenses to drop considerably.
Kansas City and Denver
Salaries are generally lower in Kansas City than they are in Denver. If you had a $50,000 salary in Kansas City, you would need to make over $58,000 in Denver to maintain your current standard of living.
The cost of living overall is 16.5% higher in Denver than Kansas City. Median home costs in Denver sit just under $400,000, which means it is 37% more expensive to own a home in Denver than in Kansas City.
Kansas City and Los Angeles
The median price of a home is about 112% lower in Kansas City than it is in Los Angeles. The median price for a home in LA is currently $620,000. In many parts of the city, this number is much higher. Overall, Kansas City is about 49% less expensive than Los Angeles.
Kansas City and Houston
The median home prices for Houston and Kansas City are much closer to being comparable. A home in both places can cost around $290,000. Salaries are also similar. If you earn $50,000 in Kansas City, you would need $52,000 in Houston to maintain your current standard of living. The overall cost of living in Houston is just over 4% higher than in Kansas City.
Kansas City and Atlanta
To maintain the standard of living a $50,000 income in Kansas City could provide, you would need to make over $53,000 in Atlanta. The cost of living is 6.16% higher in Atlanta than Kansas City. Housing prices tend to be similar in these metro areas, but general living costs are less expensive in Kansas City.
Kansas City and Chicago
Comparing Kansas City to Chicago is really comparing apples to oranges. Kansas City is 692% less densely populated than Chicago. The cost of living differences are also extreme. The median home price in Chicago is $432,000, making it 48% more expensive to buy a home in Chicago than Kansas City. Overall, the cost of living is 23.5% higher in Chicago than Kansas City.
Kansas City and Nashville
Nashville was ranked third in home price appreciation in 2017. Kansas City is second on that list. The median cost of homes in Nashville is currently lower than in Kansas City and the overall cost of living is just 1.17% higher in Nashville.
Kansas City and St Louis
Kansas City and St Louis are quite comparable in cost of living. Currently, homes costs in St Louis are about 29% lower than in Kansas City. That said, this is really dependent on which part of each city you’re looking at. You would need roughly the same income to maintain the same standard of living in each location.
