Cost of Living in Wichita, KS, United States

Updated On July 29, 2023

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Wichita, KS?

Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, in the United States of America.

The city itself is actually the perfect size: small enough and well laid out so that you can get pretty much anywhere you want within minutes, but large enough to have all of the amenities of most larger cities.

However, because it is relatively far from a bigger city, its citizens have developed their own features, like a good zoo, art museum, golf courses, parks, theater, etc.

In short, Wichita is the best of small-town Kansas life and big Kansas City fun.

Cost of Living Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

Wichita has more restaurants per capita than almost anywhere in the world.

It flaunts a lot of chain restaurants, too but if you look you can find some originals that are really good.

Braum’s and Freddy’s are the local burger joints.

On top of all this, the food is really cheap: a meal in an inexpensive restaurant is around 18$.

Markets

MARKETS

The local grocer in Wichita is Dillions – a great, not very expensive grocery store with tons of variety.

If you know how to cook, you will find all the ingredients you need here which is great news because you can save a ton of money this way.

You should know that supermarkets keep basically the same prices as all the other stores along the country.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

City Bus is the only form of public transit serving the city, but it’s infamous for its long routes are long and hour-long waits.

Taxi can be hailed only at the airport, while parking is almost always free and plentiful, even downtown.

Car ownership and maintenance are unavoidable expenses unless you have an ideally placed job/house/grocery store combination.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

When it comes to utilities, be prepared to spend around 200$ per month for electricity, water, and gas.

When there’s heavy usage of utilities, like during winter or summer, the utility bill will likely double.

For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people) these will cost you 180$ approximately.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

There are numerous local parks and fishing ponds in the city.

The Arkansas River runs right through the center of Wichita, and as close to 30 minutes outside of town, you can find several different state parks where you can go fishing, swimming, water skiing, boating, barbecuing, or camping.

A membership at the gym or a fitness club costs around 47$.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

Wichita is improving in its shopping options and has a lot of development out east and out west.

There are a couple of malls and markets: New Market Square, Towne East Square Mall, Towne West Square Mall, etc.

These are all huge malls similar to those you find everywhere else.

If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 45$.

Quality sneakers cost around 78$.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Wichita is very affordable when it comes to housing and renting.

There is a fair number of studios under 400$.

There are more upscale one and two-bedroom apartments available in the 900$-1200$ range, but they have more of an old warehouse feel or they’re a trendy remodel.

Rent truly varies and depends on many factors, like what time of year you’re going and if you’re renting a flat or sharing an apartment (and a room) with someone.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Wichita, KS

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$18.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$5.00
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.50
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$0.86
Loaf Bread (500g)$3.99
Eggs (12)$4.67
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$2.50
Monthly Pass$25.00
Gasoline$0.86
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$202.07
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$63.71
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$48.75
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$11.6
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$11.75
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$45.00
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$41.6
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$78.33
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$1106.25
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$775.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$1250.00

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Wichita, KS?

An average citizen of Wichita spends most of his or her money on food, in markets and grocery stores.

As mentioned, you can count on 200$ a week going on food, if you have a family.

One of the biggest expenses in Wichita is rent too since it can be pretty steep in certain areas, for example in the city center of Wichita.

Restaurants and transportation go side by side like in most countries – people like going to restaurants in Wichita and who can blame them?

Transportation, on the other hand, is one of the fundamental needs, regardless of the city you live in.

Average Costs Breakdown

14.3%
34.8%
8.6%
9.9%
4.9%
2.2%
25.2%

Wichita, KS: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

Economic growth is constant here: the city and all the surrounding suburbs are constantly growing and expanding.

As a result, job opportunities are abundant – particularly for medical, construction, and aircraft.

And with a decent job, comes a decent salary: the average monthly salary in Wichita is around 4500$ which is a satisfying amount for any citizen.

This means that, luckily, people that live here can manage their salaries and live comfortably.

However low the cost of living here may be, those that are renting will always have a bigger problem managing their wages and salaries.

Average Salary$4454.00
Minimum Wage$1256.67
Mortgage Interest Rate6.50%

Wichita Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Wichita Safety Review

Safety Index:
64
Wichita
  • OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
  • TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
  • PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
  • NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: HIGH
  • MUGGING RISK: LOW
  • TERRORISM RISK: LOW
  • SCAMS RISK: LOW
  • WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM

Cost of Living by City in Wichita, KS

CityCost of Living Index
Albany, NY72.4
Albuquerque, NM72.4
Anchorage, AK72.4
Ann Arbor, MI72.4
Arlington, TX72.4
Asheville, NC72.4
Atlanta, GA72.4
Austin, TX72.4
Bakersfield, CA72.4
Baltimore, MD72.4
Bellevue, WA72.4
Bellingham, WA72.4
Berkeley, CA72.4
Birmingham, AL72.4
Boise, ID72.4
Boston, MA72.4
Boulder, CO72.4
Brooklyn, NY72.4
Buffalo, NY72.4
Burlington, VT72.4
Charleston, SC72.4
Charlotte, NC73.33
Chattanooga, TN72.4
Chicago, IL72.4
Cincinnati, OH72.4
Cleveland, OH72.4
Columbia, SC72.4
Columbus, OH72.4
Dallas, TX72.4
Dayton, OH72.4
Denver, CO72.4
Des Moines, IA72.4
Detroit, MI72.4
El Paso, TX72.4
Eugene, OR72.4
Everett, WA72.4
Fayetteville, AR72.4
Fort Myers, FL72.4
Fort Wayne, IN72.4
Fort Worth, TX72.4
Fresno, CA74.2
Gainesville, FL74.2
Grand Rapids, MI74.2
Greensboro, NC74.2
Hartford, CT74.2
Honolulu, HI74.2
Houston, TX74.2
Huntsville, AL74.2
Indianapolis, IN74.2
Irvine, CA74.2
Jacksonville, FL74.2
Jersey City, NJ74.2
Kansas City, MO74.2
Knoxville, TN74.2
Las Vegas, NV74.2
Lexington, KY74.2
Little Rock, AR74.2
Long Beach, CA74.2
Los Angeles, CA74.2
Louisville, KY74.2
Lubbock, TX74.2
Madison, WI74.2
Memphis, TN74.2
Miami, FL74.2
Milwaukee, WI74.2
Minneapolis, MN74.2
Nashville, TN74.2
New Orleans, LA74.2
New York, NY74.2
Oakland, CA74.2
Oklahoma City, OK74.2
Olympia, WA74.2
Orlando, FL74.2
Peoria, IL72.4
Philadelphia, PA72.4
Phoenix, AZ72.4
Pittsburgh, PA72.4
Portland, ME72.4
Portland, OR72.4
Raleigh, NC72.4
Reno, NV72.4
Richmond, VA74.2
Rochester, NY74.2
Sacramento, CA74.2
Saint Louis, MO74.2
Saint Paul, MN74.2
Saint Petersburg, FL74.2
Salem, OR74.2
Salt Lake City, UT74.2
San Antonio, TX74.2
San Diego, CA74.2
San Francisco, CA74.2
San Jose, CA74.2
Santa Barbara, CA74.2
Santa Rosa, CA74.2
Seattle, WA74.2
Spokane, WA74.2
Springfield, MO74.2
Syracuse, NY74.2
Tacoma, WA74.2
Tallahassee, FL74.2
Tampa, FL74.2
Toledo, OH74.2
Tucson, AZ74.2
Tulsa, OK74.2
Vancouver, WA74.2
Virginia Beach, VA74.2
Washington, DC74.2
West Palm Beach, FL74.2

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