City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Kansas City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,044/mo | 48.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $133,800 | 244.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $56,120 | 54.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 100.4 | 3.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 86.5 | 18.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 88.7 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 88.0 | 25.4% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $80,037 in Kansas City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kansas City, KS is about 20% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% lower in Kansas City than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $64,029 in Kansas City to keep the same standard of living.