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Kansas City vs Omaha

Kansas City, MO  ·  Omaha, NE

⚖️

Kansas City and Omaha have similar costs of living.

Home Price

Kansas: $270,000

Omaha: $260,000

Monthly Rent

Kansas: $1,146/mo

Omaha: $941/mo

COL Index

Kansas: 92

Omaha: 91

Median Income

Kansas: $67,800

Omaha: $68,200

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric
Kansas City
Omaha
Winner
🏠

Median Home Price

$270,000
$260,000
Omaha
🏢

Monthly Rent (Median)

$1,146/mo
$941/mo
Omaha
💰

Median Household Income

$67,800
$68,200
Tied
📋

Property Tax Rate

1%
1.6%
Kansas City
📊

Cost of Living Index

100 = national average

92
91
Omaha
🚗

Avg. Commute

23 min
21 min
Omaha
📈

Unemployment Rate

3.7%
2.8%
Omaha
👥

Median Age

35.7 yrs
34.6 yrs
Kansas City

What This Means For You

💵

Buying Power

A $100,000 salary in Kansas City has the same purchasing power as $98,913 in Omaha — based on each city's cost of living index.

🏠

Housing

Homes in Omaha cost 4% more (-$10,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.

🏢

Renting

Renting in Omaha saves you $205/month — $2,460 per year. Median rent: $1,146/mo in Kansas City vs $941/mo in Omaha.

📋

Property Taxes

On a median-priced home, Kansas City owners pay roughly $2,700/year in property taxes vs $4,160/year in Omaha. That's a $1,460 annual difference.

💼

Local Earnings

Median household income is $67,800 in Kansas City and $68,200 in Omaha. Incomes are similar, so cost of living differences matter more.

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Daily Commute

Average commute is 23 minutes in Kansas City vs 21 minutes in Omaha. Commute times are nearly identical.

Salary Equivalence

To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Kansas City to Omaha, here's the salary you'd need:

Salary in Kansas CityEquivalent in OmahaDifference
$50,000$49,457-$543
$75,000$74,185-$815
$100,000$98,913-$1,087
$150,000$148,370-$1,630
$200,000$197,826-$2,174

* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.

Run the Numbers

Related Comparisons

Kansas City vs Omaha: Common Questions

Is Kansas City or Omaha cheaper to live in?

Based on cost of living indices, Omaha is cheaper overall. Kansas City has a COL index of 92 while Omaha scores 91 (national average = 100).

How do home prices compare between Kansas City and Omaha?

The median home price in Kansas City is $270,000 vs $260,000 in Omaha — a difference of $10,000 (4%).

What salary do I need in Omaha to match my Kansas City income?

Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Kansas City is equivalent to $98,913 in Omaha in terms of purchasing power.

Which city has lower property taxes?

Kansas City has a lower property tax rate (1% vs 1.6%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,700/year vs $4,160/year.

Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.