City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 3.6% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $103,600 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,097 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Buffalo, NY to Kansas City, MO ($111,301 → $108,173), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,556 in Kansas City | $103,567 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,097/yr.
80 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,097/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Buffalo → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,729 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,897 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,968 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,173 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $127,829 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,060 | $63,238 (−17.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $124,990 | $129,448 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $80,040 | $82,895 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $83,040 | $86,002 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.