Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Kansas City, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, KS: $2,714 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, KS
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Kansas City, KS Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Kansas City, KS

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,714 in Kansas City, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Kansas City, KS $2,714

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,099 in Kansas City, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Kansas City, KS $4,099

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,484 in Kansas City, KS, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Kansas City, KS $5,484

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Kansas City, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Kansas City, KS sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Kansas City, KS by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$23.70 $23.70

20.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$81.6 $81.6

45.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.58 $12.58

19.55%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.09 $6.09

7.22%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.05 $3.05

29.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.44 $2.44

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.13 $5.13

59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.86 $8.86

11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.07 $1.07

28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.37 $3.37

47.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.27 $5.27

48.20%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.57 $4.57

30.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.97 $13.97

35.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.50 $9.50

89.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.57 $13.57

40.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.19 $4.19

61.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.10 $2.10

8.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.89 $5.89

15.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.45 $5.45

30.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.57 $3.57

18.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.78 $3.78

23.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.39 $2.39

20.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.18 $2.18

19.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$8.78 $8.78

113.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.84 $16.84

19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.81 $1.81

90.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.97 $3.97

1.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.53 $1.53

90.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$55.2 $55.2

151.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.93 $4.93

-37.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.28 $1.28

65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$41.28 $41.28

1.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.3K $27.3K

26.15%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.78%

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

$219 $219

$198 $198

10.61%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$53.0 $53.0

40.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.3 $64.3

9.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$113 $113

-1.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$64.7 $64.7

15.77%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.24 $15.24

45.28%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$445 $445

699.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$21.3K $21.3K

192.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$59.8 $59.8

26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.22 $43.22

18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$104 $104

18.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$146 $146

-4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,498 $1,498

200.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,255 $1,255

145.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,794 $2,794

238.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,191 $2,191

136.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,078 $2,078

771.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,167 $2,167

208.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,207 $3,207

62.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.56

4.57%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kansas City, KS: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Kansas City, KS

$1.3K 46.2% 59.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Kansas City, KS

$403 14.8% 28.4% $160

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Kansas City, KS

$366 13.5% 16.9% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Kansas City, KS

$316 11.6% 13.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Kansas City, KS

$159 5.8% 9.6% $17

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Kansas City, KS

$73 2.7% 55.8% $92

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Kansas City, KS

$144 5.3% 8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,498 in Kansas City, KS. 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 63% higher in New York, NY, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $82 in Kansas City, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $403 – making Kansas City, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

11:05 11:05 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

463,202

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Kansas City, KS 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Kansas City, KS

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

New York, NY vs Kansas City, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 82% more than Kansas City, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,072 in Kansas City, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kansas City, KS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,498 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $445 in Kansas City, KS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,714 in Kansas City, KS. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kansas City, KS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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