

Ames vs Wichita
$189/mo more in Wichita
AmesWichitaAbout 357 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Wichita leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 232 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,590/mo in Wichita. $2,401/mo in Ames. +$2,268 a year.
Ames
$2,401
left each month
Wichita
$2,590
+$189 vs Ames
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$189 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Ames | Wichita | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,018 | +$810 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,332 | $1,750 | +$418 |
| Take-home pay | $4,877 | $5,269 | +$392 |
| Rent | $760 | $857 | +$97 |
| Getting around | $457 | $543 | +$86 |
| Groceries | $347 | $353 | +$6 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $397 | +$6 |
| Utilities | $217 | $221 | +$4 |
| Everything else | $304 | $309 | +$5 |
| Left over | $2,401 | $2,590 | +$189 |
Salary to match Ames
$80,500
Gross pay in Wichita that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in Ames.
Tax difference
−$2,135
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.4% in Ames, 24.9% in Wichita.
More about Wichita
Ames, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $905 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
Wichita, KS in full
State income tax topping out at 5.58%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,020 and 232 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
The other way
Start in Wichita.
Wichita → Ames →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Wichita than Ames?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Wichita leaves about $189 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $760 in Ames and $857 in Wichita.
Does Wichita have state income tax?
Wichita is in Kansas, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Ames to Wichita?
The paycheck is taxed in Kansas. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Ames and Wichita changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.