USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Kansas vs Missouri: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Kansas or Missouri?

  • Overall, living costs in Missouri and Kansas are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Kansas works out to about $75,600 in Missouri, before taxes.
  • Housing is 1.8% lower in Missouri, goods 2.4% higher and other services 1.4% higher, which roughly cancel out.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,850 in Missouri and $59,172 in Kansas (2.2% lower in Missouri; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.7 in Joplin, MO to 95.1 in St. Louis, MO (Missouri) and from 88.8 in Topeka, KS to 90.2 in Lawrence, KS (Kansas), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.2%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Overall prices are about the same in Kansas and Missouri

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
All items
90.1 90.8
Goods
94.0 96.3
Housing (rents)
71.2 69.9
Utilities
88.4 79.4
Other services
93.8 95.2

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
All items90.190.8
Goods94.096.3
Housing (rents)71.269.9
Utilities88.479.4
Other services93.895.2
CategoryKansasMissouriMissouri vs Kansas
All items90.190.8+0.8%
Goods94.096.3+2.4%
Housing (rents)71.269.9−1.8%
Utilities88.479.4−10.2%
Other services93.895.2+1.4%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $59,172 $57,850 −2.2%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.14 $4.14 0.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Kansas $75,000 $75,600 +0.8%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Kansas figure). *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Missouri figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Kansas

  1. Joplin, MO 85.7
  2. St. Joseph, MO 86.4
  3. Topeka, KS 88.8
  4. Wichita, KS 88.9
  5. Manhattan, KS 90.2
  6. Lawrence, KS 90.2
  7. Kansas City, MO 92.5

Missouri

  1. Joplin, MO 85.7
  2. Cape Girardeau, MO 86.1
  3. St. Joseph, MO 86.4
  4. Jefferson City, MO 88.0
  5. Springfield, MO 88.6
  6. Columbia, MO 89.4
  7. Kansas City, MO 92.5
  8. St. Louis, MO 95.1

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Kansas and Missouri has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
200889.988.4
200991.890.5
201093.093.1
201192.892.5
201293.392.4
201392.692.8
201493.193.4
201592.892.3
201692.191.7
201791.691.7
201892.491.8
201992.792.5
202092.392.2
202191.392.0
202289.691.0
202389.991.1
202490.190.8

Goods

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
200888.787.4
200993.791.5
201095.596.5
201195.895.3
201296.995.8
201396.296.8
201497.097.6
201597.497.4
201696.496.3
201795.896.0
201895.096.0
201997.198.2
202095.999.0
202193.898.5
202293.696.7
202396.597.3
202494.096.3

Housing (rents)

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
200873.673.2
200974.772.4
201075.374.5
201177.774.6
201275.673.6
201375.075.0
201474.173.3
201575.173.2
201673.472.3
201773.270.6
201872.370.4
201971.970.9
202072.270.3
202169.870.1
202269.969.3
202368.670.5
202471.269.9

Utilities

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
200885.478.4
200987.683.0
201089.887.2
201187.088.7
201287.089.6
201389.587.9
201487.683.1
201590.588.0
201692.785.2
201796.990.0
2018103.992.7
201999.992.8
2020101.593.6
2021100.791.6
2022103.083.8
202390.885.6
202488.479.4

Other services

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KansasMissouri
200896.795.6
200996.996.9
201097.798.0
201196.297.1
201297.596.8
201396.596.6
201497.598.3
201595.995.7
201695.695.6
201794.896.3
201897.096.5
201997.096.5
202097.196.0
202196.695.3
202292.994.9
202393.094.4
202493.895.2

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,850 in Missouri, $59,172 in Kansas

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
KansasMissouriUnited States
2008$51,283$47,118$45,816
2009$48,282$45,179$44,204
2010$47,376$43,946$44,808
2011$49,885$44,799$45,957
2012$50,988$45,817$46,796
2013$51,553$45,192$46,358
2014$51,238$45,700$47,661
2015$51,685$47,620$49,396
2016$51,744$48,744$49,828
2017$52,848$48,930$51,006
2018$53,415$49,929$52,242
2019$54,437$50,660$53,683
2020$57,358$54,269$56,514
2021$59,652$56,869$59,365
2022$59,546$55,467$57,104
2023$58,664$56,912$58,088
2024$59,172$57,850$59,195

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Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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