Survey says: Wichita does have bragging rights

Wichita often has boasted that it’s one of the cheapest places to live nationally, and another new survey proves the city does indeed have bragging rights.

The website move.org ranks Wichita No. 1 out of 74 cities across the country for lowest cost of living.

The monthly cost of living here is $1,219 compared to the most-expensive city, Irvine, Calif., which costs $3,062 a month.

Of course, Wichita’s yearly median income is only $30,563 compared to Irvine’s $55,484, according to the study.

Tulsa and Oklahoma City also make the Top 10 for lowest costs of living at No. 3 and No. 9. Seven cities in California make the list for the Top 10 most-expensive places to live, including San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Anaheim and Santa Ana. Seattle and Honolulu round out the most-expensive list.

The study surveyed the 74 cities nationally with the largest populations based on U.S. Census Bureau numbers. It analyzed rent, gas, food and utilities.

This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 10:04 AM.