City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 11.6% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $111,600 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,471 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Kansas City, MO to Phoenix, AZ ($108,173 → $111,338), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,641 in Phoenix | $89,573 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,471/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,471/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Kansas City → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $64,564 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $78,117 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $93,629 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $111,338 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $131,568 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $59,180 | $53,009 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $131,750 | $118,012 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $80,820 | $72,393 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $100,830 | $90,316 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.