

Manhattan vs Kansas City
$437/mo more in Kansas City
ManhattanKansas CityAbout 116 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Kansas City leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,609/mo in Kansas City. $2,172/mo in Manhattan. +$5,244 a year.
Manhattan
$2,172
left each month
Kansas City
$2,609
+$437 vs Manhattan
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 378 households moved Manhattan → Kansas City (avg AGI $58,016). 204 went the other way. The whole move →
+$437 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Manhattan | Kansas City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,250 | $7,578 | +$1,328 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,479 | $1,903 | +$424 |
| Take-home pay | $4,771 | $5,675 | +$904 |
| Rent | $855 | $1,167 | +$312 |
| Getting around | $465 | $551 | +$86 |
| Groceries | $353 | $372 | +$19 |
| Healthcare | $397 | $419 | +$22 |
| Utilities | $221 | $233 | +$12 |
| Everything else | $309 | $326 | +$17 |
| Left over | $2,172 | $2,609 | +$437 |
Salary to match Manhattan
$83,000
Gross pay in Kansas City that leaves the same amount as $75,000 in Manhattan.
Tax difference
−$360
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.7% in Manhattan, 25.1% in Kansas City.
More about Kansas City
Manhattan, KS in full
State income tax topping out at 5.58%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,018 and 224 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
Kansas City, MO in full
Genuinely low cost of living for a metro with real amenities.
The other way
Start in Kansas City.
Kansas City → Manhattan →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Kansas City than Manhattan?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Kansas City leaves about $437 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $855 in Manhattan and $1,167 in Kansas City.
Does Kansas City have state income tax?
Kansas City is in Missouri, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
What changes if you move from Manhattan to Kansas City?
The paycheck is taxed in Missouri. 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 Manhattan and Kansas City 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.