City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 10.8% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $110,800 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Kansas City, MO to Philadelphia, PA ($108,173 → $117,284), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,818 in Philadelphia | $90,238 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
38 Weak offer
Philadelphia, PA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Kansas City → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $68,013 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $82,289 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $98,630 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $117,284 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $138,595 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $78,570 | $70,900 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $133,040 | $120,053 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $85,990 | $77,596 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $101,180 | $91,303 (+10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.