Moving to Kansas from Missouri
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Missouri to Kansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Missouri to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 2.7% cheaper than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $74,209 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Missouri to Kansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,209
To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.3% less
Groceries
pay 4.4% less
Transportation
pay 16.8% less
Housing
pay 0.1% less
Childcare
pay 8.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Missouri to Kansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kansas performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri generally does better on what about housing?, though Kansas leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kansas performs significantly better than Missouri across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Kansas generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Kansas performs significantly better than Missouri across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Columbia | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than Missouri?
Costs in Kansas and Missouri are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Kansas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,552 in Kansas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Kansas safe?
Kansas performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kansas compared to Missouri?
Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Kansas compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Topeka is 66°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
