Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, MO and Scottsdale, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, MO: $2,399 a month against $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Scottsdale, AZ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, MO
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Kansas City, MO Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Scottsdale, AZ
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Scottsdale, AZ Living Index

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Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,399

/mo nomad

Scottsdale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kansas City, MO and in Scottsdale, AZ

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kansas City, MO and in Scottsdale, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,399 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent included.

Kansas City, MO $2,399
Scottsdale, AZ $2,911

A couple spends around $3,577 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $4,339 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent included.

Kansas City, MO $3,577
Scottsdale, AZ $4,339

A family of three spends $4,755 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $5,767 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent included.

Kansas City, MO $4,755
Scottsdale, AZ $5,767

Kansas City, MO is about 18% cheaper than Scottsdale, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kansas City, MO and Scottsdale, AZ sit above the global median – Kansas City, MO by 78%, Scottsdale, AZ by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.91 $24.91

$19.63 $19.63

26.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$85.9 $85.9

-7.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 $12.37

$12.83 $12.83

-3.59%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$5.32 $5.32

11.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.94 $2.94

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.38 $2.38

7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$6.10 $6.10

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$7.88 $7.88

-2.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.01 $1.01

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.06 $4.06

-15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.97 $4.97

5.43%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$4.49 $4.49

-4.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$13.68 $13.68

2.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$11.21 $11.21

-13.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$17.13 $17.13

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.39 $4.39

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.87 $1.87

-14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.77 $3.77

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.16 $4.16

33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.84 $2.84

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.81 $2.81

17.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.12 $2.12

12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.63 $2.63

-17.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.99 $7.99

$10.65 $10.65

-24.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 $15.44

$13.49 $13.49

14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.49 $2.49

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.33 $3.33

17.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.51 $42.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.77 $2.77

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.34 $1.34

-9.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 $59.5

$35.81 $35.81

66.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.19 $1.19

-16.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.6K $36.6K

-3.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.8K $24.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

-2.45%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$204 $204

$200 $200

1.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$63.7 $63.7

1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$75.2 $75.2

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.47 $45.47

$34.23 $34.23

32.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.41 $31.41

$10.04 $10.04

212.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$13.71 $13.71

8.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$1,238 $1,238

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.2K $20.2K

6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 $61.4

$54.9 $54.9

11.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 $43.70

$43.13 $43.13

1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$99.2 $99.2

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$133 $133

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 $1,399

$2,387 $2,387

-41.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 $1,042

$1,567 $1,567

-33.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$3,230 $3,230

-15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 $1,731

$2,760 $2,760

-37.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,626 $2,626

$3,759 $3,759

-30.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,931 $1,931

$4,744 $4,744

-59.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,893 $3,893

$5,671 $5,671

-31.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.62

-0.91%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kansas City, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Scottsdale, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kansas City, MO

$1K 43.5%

Scottsdale, AZ

$1.6K 53.8% 50.3% $525

Groceries & Markets

Kansas City, MO

$393 16.4%

Scottsdale, AZ

$406 14% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

Kansas City, MO

$381 15.9%

Scottsdale, AZ

$327 11.2% 14.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kansas City, MO

$339 14.1%

Scottsdale, AZ

$339 11.7% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Kansas City, MO

$160 6.7%

Scottsdale, AZ

$149 5.1% 7.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kansas City, MO

$75 3.1%

Scottsdale, AZ

$62 2.1% 18% $14

Getting Around

Kansas City, MO

$8.6 * 0.4%

Scottsdale, AZ

$61 2.1% 609% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,399 in Kansas City, MO versus $2,387 in Scottsdale, AZ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Scottsdale, AZ, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Kansas City, MO versus $86.0 in Scottsdale, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $406 – making Kansas City, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 Scottsdale, AZ

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

2 h behind Kansas City, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,202

241,361

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kansas City, MO Scottsdale, AZ 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kansas City, MO
Scottsdale, AZ

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kansas City, MO vs Scottsdale, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,399 in Kansas City, MO, $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,599 per month in Kansas City, MO and $4,366 in Scottsdale, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kansas City, MO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,399 in Kansas City, MO and $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $1,188 per month in Kansas City, MO and $1,238 in Scottsdale, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,399 in Kansas City, MO and $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Kansas City, MO has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,399 in Kansas City, MO to $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kansas City, MO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Scottsdale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.