City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 9.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $109,000 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Tampa, FL ($108,173 → $106,437), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,020 in Tampa | $91,727 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
42 Weak offer
Tampa, FL → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Tampa, FL | Real change, Kansas City → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $60,120 | $55,146 (−9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $130,450 | $119,657 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $78,990 | $72,455 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $85,470 | $78,399 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.