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 | $1,131/mo | 37.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $208,900 | 120.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $65,256 | 32.6% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 89.8 | 4.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 94.4 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 95.1 | 0.7% 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 $86,164 in Kansas City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kansas City, MO is about 13.8% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in Kansas City than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $68,931 in Kansas City to keep the same standard of living.