B+
2%
Overall NAT. AVG.
0%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
9%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Lawrence Kansas National
Cost of living10288100
Goods & Services10091100
Groceries9796100
Health care11094100
Housing10977100
Transportation9790100
Utilities9698100
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An Overview of Cost of Living in Lawrence, KS

The cost of living in Lawrence affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Lawrence is 102, which is 2% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.

The cost of living in Lawrence closely mirrors the national average in comparison to other cities nationwide. Essential items such as groceries, goods and services, health care and utilities are priced at a level consistent with similar urban areas. This means that residents of Lawrence can anticipate that their daily expenses will remain reasonably in line with those of an average city, contributing to a manageable cost of living.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Lawrence?

Nobody knows their city better than the people who actually live there. So, we asked 22 local residents how they would rate the cost of living in Lawrence and this is how they responded. 55% of people said that the cost of living was affordable, with prices decreasing, while 45% of people said that the cost of living was very expensive and prices continue to rise.

Is Lawrence Affordable?

Is Lawrence an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Lawrence, the median home price is 13.2% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 0.8% lower than the usual rates. Income levels in Lawrence come in at $81,282, which is 0.1% lower than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Lawrence?

Housing: When everyone's vying for homes in popular areas, it drives up property prices and rents, making the overall cost of living surge. On the flip side, in less sought-after locales, where housing demand is low, prices tend to dip, resulting in a more economical cost of living. In Lawrence, the housing index comes in at 9% higher than the national average.

Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.

Groceries: Over the past 2-3 years, grocery expenses have experienced substantial upward trends. In certain markets, food prices have surged by over 20% during this period, while others have witnessed more modest increases. These fluctuations in food costs can wield significant influence over the overall cost of living in a given region. In Lawrence, the groceries index is 2.8% lower than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Lawrence cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Lawrence is 16% higher than the Kansas average
  • The cost of living in Lawrence is 2% higher than the national average
  • Lawrence housing is 9% higher than the national average
  • Kansas general sales tax is 27% higher than the national average
  • Kansas state income tax is 19% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Lawrence

See all the best places to live around Lawrence

Compare Lawrence, KS Cost of Living

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      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$141,729$11,811$3,307$4,252
      Renters$55,876$4,656$1,304$1,676
      The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Lawrence, KS, as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Lawrence homeowners, is $141,729. This would allow for a maximum of $3,307 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $55,876 which would result in a maximum of $1,304 to be spent on rental costs.

      Kansas Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      Kansas 6.5% 11.5%

      Kansas Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      Kansas 3.1% 4.7%

      Goods & Services

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      Haircut $27.93$27.621.1%
      Beauty Salon $47.27$51.117.5%
      Toothpaste $4.04$4.091.3%
      Shampoo $1.72$1.5411.5%
      Movie $11.95$12.887.2%
      Yoga $20.52$19.664.4%

      Groceries

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $7.59$7.701.5%
      Fried Chicken $1.54$1.667.4%
      Milk $4.77$4.730.8%
      Potatoes $5.55$5.265.6%
      Pizza $12.15$12.764.8%
      Beer $9.70$10.558.1%

      Health Care

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $125.91$140.0610.1%
      Doctor $175.83$153.8214.3%
      Dentist $125.17$123.151.6%
      Ibuprofen $11.52$11.731.8%
      Lipitor $28.87$23.6122.3%

      Housing

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      Home Price $369,897.00$326,622.0013.2%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,826.10$2,480.2513.9%
      Apartment Rent $1,432.00$1,444.000.8%

      Transportation

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $2.87$3.066.1%
      Tire Balancing $67.99$65.214.3%

      Utilities

      Item Lawrence National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $199.20$220.129.5%
      Phone $207.16$195.715.9%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Lecompton, KS890919.0%
      Linwood, KS429918.8%
      Perry, KS1,323927.5%
      Edgerton, KS1,800954.8%
      Baldwin City, KS4,845972.9%
      Lawrence, KS99,6601022.2%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Yuma, AZ99,763990.8%
      San Marcos, CA99,85116969.4%
      Flint, MI99,4367821.6%
      Longmont, CO99,36013333.5%
      Bend, OR99,17413333.0%
      Lawrence, KS99,6601022.2%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.