Median rent is 25% lower in Kansas City ($1,238/mo vs $1,641/mo). Buying is cheaper in Kansas City, where the median home runs $242,900 versus $270,800. Households earn more in Garland ($76,320 vs $69,166 a year).
City A
Garland, TX
City B
Kansas City, MO
How much would you need to earn in Kansas City, MO to maintain your standard of living from Garland, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Garland
Texas
Kansas City
Missouri
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Kansas City — median rent of $1,238/mo versus $1,641/mo in Garland, a 25% difference. Median home values are within 10% of each other: $270,800 in Garland and $242,900 in Kansas City.
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Garland
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Kansas City
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Garland has cleaner air on average: 55.0 AQI (Moderate) compared to 57.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Garland if you prioritize higher median household income ($76,320/yr).
Pick Kansas City if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,238/mo median).
Is Garland cheaper than Kansas City?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Garland vs Kansas City?
Median rent is $1,641/mo in Garland, TX and $1,238/mo in Kansas City, MO. Kansas City, MO has the lower rent by about 25%.
Which has higher salaries — Garland or Kansas City?
Median household income is $76,320 in Garland, TX and $69,166 in Kansas City, MO. Garland, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Garland, TX has better air quality on average: 55.0 AQI versus 57.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Garland or Kansas City?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Kansas City to match my Garland income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
