Kansas City, MO vs Milwaukee, WI: Cost of Living

Which city costs less?

Milwaukee, WI has a modeled overall cost index 1.1% higher than Kansas City, MO.

Kansas City, MO · modeled 2BR rent: $1,460 / month
Milwaukee, WI · modeled 2BR rent: $1,235 / month

These are saved estimates, not current rental listings. Some cities use adjusted regional data. Your household budget can differ from the overall index. Sources and assumptions

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Cost of Living Comparison 2026

Compare Kansas City, MO and Milwaukee, WI using saved regional data and explicit budgeting assumptions. Rent estimates are not live listings. Change the salary below, then check the source notes before applying a result to your household.

Saved regional estimates · Sources and assumptions

Current salary in Kansas City, MO

Numbers update automatically as you type

Estimated extra cost: $111/month in Milwaukee, WI

$150,000 in your current city has a modeled equivalent of $151,327 in Milwaukee, WI

Regional cost estimates: Kansas City, MO uses Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Area. Milwaukee, WI uses Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metropolitan Area. Available city ZIP rent estimates are shown separately.

Overall Cost

↑ 1.1%

More expensive

Monthly Impact

$111

Extra cost

Annual Impact

$1.3K

Per year

Assumes 60% of current gross income goes to living costs. The headline uses the category budget below; taxes, moving costs and savings goals are excluded.

Kansas City, MO

Population:508K

Cost Index:

90.0

100 = national average

Typical Home:$257K

Milwaukee, WI

Population:577K

Cost Index:

91.0

100 = national average

Typical Home:$219K

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Kansas City, MO

The Show-Me State

508K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Missouri, this city has a population of 508K residents.

Milwaukee, WI

The Badger State

577K

Population

State Tax

Yes

Located in Wisconsin, this city has a population of 577K residents.

Cost Breakdown by Category

Estimated monthly spending: Kansas City, MO vs Milwaukee, WI

Assumes 60% of your current gross income is spent on these categories. The headline and totals use this same budget. Rent estimates below are separate reference data. Rounded amounts may differ by $1.

Category	Kansas City, MO	Milwaukee, WI	Difference	Change
Transportation	$1,299/mo	$1,503/mo	↑ $204more	15.7%
Housing	$2,249/mo	$2,055/mo	↓ $194less	8.6%
Healthcare	$649/mo	$768/mo	↑ $119more	18.4%
All Utilities	$572/mo	$543/mo	↓ $29.19less	5.1%
Groceries	$1,014/mo	$1,025/mo	↑ $10.68more	1.1%
Other	$1,717/mo	$1,717/mo	→ $0	0.0%

Transportation

↑ 15.7%

Kansas City, MO

$1,299

Milwaukee, WI

$1,503

Difference

$204

Housing

↓ 8.6%

Kansas City, MO

$2,249

Milwaukee, WI

$2,055

Difference

$194

less

Healthcare

↑ 18.4%

Kansas City, MO

$649

Milwaukee, WI

$768

Difference

$119

All Utilities

↓ 5.1%

Kansas City, MO

$572

Milwaukee, WI

$543

Difference

$29.19

less

Groceries

↑ 1.1%

Kansas City, MO

$1,014

Milwaukee, WI

$1,025

Difference

$10.68

Other

→ 0.0%

Kansas City, MO

$1,717

Milwaukee, WI

$1,717

Difference

same

🏛️ Local Income Taxes

Kansas City, MO: Kansas City Earnings Tax$1,500/yr (1.0%)

Milwaukee, WI has no local income tax recorded in this dataset.

Local taxes are shown separately and are not included in the living-cost totals. Coverage is incomplete; an absent entry does not establish that no tax applies.

🏠Rent Comparison

Studio

From$1,180

To$945

↓ $235

1 Bed

From$1,280

To$1,035

↓ $245

2 Bed

From$1,460

To$1,235

↓ $225

3 Bed

From$1,900

To$1,520

↓ $380

Kansas City, MOZIP-level data

1BR range: $900–$1,800/mo

Milwaukee, WIZIP-level data

1BR range: $960–$1,680/mo

💡 Note: HUD Fair Market Rents estimate 40th-percentile gross rents, including most tenant-paid utilities. City ZIP summaries are medians of those estimates, not market median rents. Actual prices vary by neighborhood, amenities, and condition. Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents FY2026.

$7,500

Monthly in Kansas City, MO

$7,611

Monthly in Milwaukee, WI

$111

Difference

Home Values

Kansas City

Milwaukee

$257K

Median Value

$219K

↑ +0.6%

YoY Change

↑ +3.9%

↑ +32.2%

5-Year Change

↑ +44.6%

$80K - $587K

Price Range

$85K - $529K

Homes in Milwaukee are 15% less expensive than Kansas City

Calculate payment - Kansas City Calculate payment - Milwaukee

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), January 2026

Tax Comparison

Annual tax burden comparison at $150.0K salary

Tax Savings

↓ $921

More taxes

Monthly Difference

$76.74

Less take-home

Effective Rate Diff

0.6%

Rate difference

Kansas City, MO

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Missouri State Tax

Effective: 5.3%

$7.9K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 30.0%

$44.9K

Take-Home Pay

$8,755/month

$105.1K

Milwaukee, WI

Federal Income Tax

Effective: 18.9%

$25.5K

Wisconsin State Tax

Effective: 5.9%

$8.8K

FICA Taxes

Social Security + Medicare

$11.5K

Total Taxes

Effective: 30.6%

$45.9K

Take-Home Pay

$8,678/month

$104.1K

Additional Tax Information

Kansas City, MO Tax Rates

Sales Tax:8.2%

Property Tax:1.0%

Milwaukee, WI Tax Rates

Sales Tax:5.6%

Property Tax:1.8%

💡 Note: Tax calculations are estimates based on 2024/2025 tax brackets for single filers with standard deduction. Actual taxes may vary based on filing status, deductions, credits, and local variations.

🚶 Walkability

Modeled road attributes, not a safety assessment. Methodology and limitations

Kansas City, MO: No data yet

Milwaukee, WI

33/100

1.2% sidewalk tags · 7% cycling tags

Environment

Kansas City

Milwaukee

46 Good

Air Quality

43 Good

59.3%

Good Air Days

68.6%

97 High

Climate Risk

98 High

🌊🌡🌪

Top Hazards

🌊🌡🌪

▲+3.3°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.3°F

44 days

Heat Days >95°F

13 days

▲+3.3°F

2050 Outlook

▲+3.3°F

44 days

Heat Days >95°F

13 days

Before moving from Kansas City, MO to Milwaukee, WI

Use this comparison to shortlist a move, then check the costs that depend on your household.

Compare actual homes. Get current quotes in Milwaukee, WI for the same bedroom count and included utilities as your home in Kansas City, MO. Add parking, deposits, insurance and any overlapping leases. The rent estimates above are a starting point, not available listings.
Confirm your income. Check your expected pay with your employer, including any location adjustment. Use “Different salary at destination?” above to compare two incomes. The budget model excludes taxes and one-time moving costs; it is not a take-home-pay calculation.
Price your daily routine. Check the commute from a specific address to work, school or childcare. Add household expenses missing from this model, such as childcare, debt payments and medical needs. Verify local services before signing a lease.
Plan the transition. Get moving quotes and budget for travel, setup costs and time off. Open your Kansas City to Milwaukee moving checklist to organize the tasks and timing.

Still choosing a destination? Explore cities similar to Milwaukee, WI by cost, housing, population and region.

Frequently Asked Questions: Kansas City, MO vs Milwaukee, WI

How do the cost estimates for Kansas City, MO and Milwaukee, WI compare?

Milwaukee, WI has a modeled overall cost index 1.1% higher than Kansas City, MO. This is a broad model comparison, not a survey of today's prices or a forecast of your household spending. Some cities use adjusted regional fallback data.

What does the equivalent salary mean?

At a $150,000 salary in Kansas City, MO, the model estimates $151,327 in Milwaukee, WI. It allocates 60% of gross income to the origin city’s category budget and applies each destination category’s relative cost. The equivalent salary adds the total category difference to your income. The monthly difference is the same category difference divided by 12; it is not take-home pay or guaranteed savings. Household size, childcare and your actual lease are not inputs to this calculation.

What rent estimates are available for Kansas City, MO and Milwaukee, WI?

The modeled two-bedroom rents are $1,460/month in Kansas City, MO and $1,235/month in Milwaukee, WI. Where available, the source is a city median of HUD FY2026 ZIP-level estimates; otherwise a saved metro table is used. City adjustments may also apply. These are not asking rents or available listings. Compare actual properties with the same bedroom count and included utilities.

How should I use this comparison before moving?

Use it to shortlist locations, then replace modeled costs with a current housing quote, employer-confirmed income, commute costs, insurance and your household's other expenses. Add one-time moving costs separately. Source years differ and the saved datasets are not a live price feed. Read the methodology for the formulas and fallback rules.

💰 See how taxes change too — compare take-home pay between Missouri and Wisconsin on TaxTakeHome.com