City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kansas City, MO are 3.6% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $103,600 in Kansas City, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $805 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Columbus, GA to Kansas City, MO ($112,556 → $108,173), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,636 in Kansas City | $96,491 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$805/yr.
58 Fair offer
Kansas City, MO → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$805/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Columbus → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,729 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,897 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,968 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,173 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,829 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $61,060 | $58,918 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $124,990 | $120,605 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,040 | $77,232 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $83,040 | $80,126 (−2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.