PlainCost
Home / States / Kansas

State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Kansas

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Kansas from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 4 metro areas.

90.1
Statewide RPP
#42
of 51 states by cost
71.2
Rents RPP
4
Metro areas

The verdict

Kansas costs less than 82% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 90.1, 9.9% below the national average.

90.1
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#42
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 18%
nationally, among all states
71.2
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $111,027 when earned in Kansas.

Reading the Kansas Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Kansas's statewide Regional Price Parity at 90.1 for the 2024 data year, 9.9% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 71.2. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Kansas captures 4 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Lawrence, KS leads on cost at 90.2, while Topeka, KS sits at the opposite end at 88.8 — a gap of 1.4 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 94.0, for services 88.4, and for rents 71.2 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Kansas's statewide index has held steady within 0.2 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $111,027 of national buying power when earned inside Kansas, and a household relocating here would need roughly $90,068 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

90.1
Overall
94.0
Goods
88.4
Services
71.2
Rents

Kansas vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

90 Top 82% higher than 18% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Above this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Kansas → Cheapest in Kansas →

Metro areas in Kansas, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Lawrence 90.2 94.0 89.3 71.6
2 Manhattan 90.2 94.0 88.4 72.0
3 Wichita 88.9 94.0 88.5 66.2
4 Topeka 88.8 94.0 88.9 65.0

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 89.9
2009 91.8
2010 93.0
2011 92.8
2012 93.3
2013 92.6
2014 93.1
2015 92.8
2016 92.1
2017 91.6
2018 92.4
2019 92.7
2020 92.3
2021 91.3
2022 89.6
2023 89.9
2024 90.1

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Kansas? ▼
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 90.1, meaning it is 9.9% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 94.0, services at 88.4, and rents at 71.2.
What salary in Kansas equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $90,068 in Kansas. Conversely, $100K earned in Kansas has the purchasing power of $111,027 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Kansas? ▼
Rents in Kansas are indexed at 71.2, which is 28.8% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Kansas? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Kansas is Lawrence, KS with an RPP of 90.2. The most affordable is Topeka, KS at 88.8. There are 4 metro areas in Kansas with BEA price data.
Is Kansas getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Kansas's overall cost index changed by +0.2 points (from 89.9 to 90.1). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.