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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Kansas City skyline
Stephen Edmonds. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Lawrence skyline
Ian Ballinger. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Kansas City vs Lawrence

$541/mo less in Lawrence

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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Kansas CityLawrenceAbout 46 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Lawrence costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 224 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,072/mo in Lawrence. $2,613/mo in Kansas City. −$6,492 a year.

Kansas City

$2,613

left each month

Lawrence

$2,072

−$541 vs Kansas City

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Lawrence wins 2 of 4Kansas City 2 · ties 0
$5,679Take-home · Kansas City$4,779
$1,167Rent · Lawrence$986
$1,899Other bills · Lawrence$1,721
$2,613Left over · Kansas City$2,072

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,166 households moved Kansas City → Lawrence (avg AGI $60,009). 1,359 went the other way. The whole move →

−$541 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthKansas CityLawrence
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Lawrence · this breakdownKansas City · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Kansas City, MO and Lawrence, KS
Per monthKansas CityLawrenceDifference
Gross pay$7,583$6,262−$1,321
Income and payroll tax$1,905$1,483−$421
Take-home pay$5,679$4,779−$900
Rent$1,167$986−$181
Getting around$551$442−$109
Groceries$372$353−$19
Healthcare$419$397−$22
Utilities$233$221−$12
Everything else$326$309−$17
Left over$2,613$2,072−$541

Salary to match Kansas City

$85,000

Gross pay in Lawrence that leaves the same amount as $91,000 in Kansas City.

Tax difference

+$356

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.1% in Kansas City, 23.7% in Lawrence.

More about Lawrence

Kansas City, MO in full

Genuinely low cost of living for a metro with real amenities.

Lawrence, KS in full

State income tax topping out at 5.58%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,174 and 224 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.

The other way

Start in Lawrence.

Lawrence → Kansas City →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Lawrence than Kansas City?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Lawrence leaves about $541 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,167 in Kansas City and $986 in Lawrence.

Does Lawrence have state income tax?

Lawrence is in Kansas, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Kansas City to Lawrence?

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 Kansas City and Lawrence 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.