<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0304</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>5</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-12-31</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <form3HoldingsReported>0</form3HoldingsReported>

    <form4TransactionsReported>0</form4TransactionsReported>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000054473</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>KANSAS CITY LIFE INSURANCE CO</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>KCLI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001096554</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BIXBY WALTER E JR REVOCABLE TRUST</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KANSAS CITY LIFE INSURANCE CO</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>3520 BROADWAY</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>KANSAS CITY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>64111</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, $1.25 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-12-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>47790</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1725834</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective on December 31, 2011, pursuant to the mandatory provisions of the agreement of WEB Interests, Ltd., a Texas partnership (the &quot;Partnership&quot;), the shares of the Issuer's common stock, $1.25 par value (&quot;Common Stock&quot;), owned by the Partnership and attributable to the general and limited partner interests of the Partnership were reallocated such that the Common Stock owned by the Partnership and attributable to the general and Class A and C limited partner interest held by the Walter E. Bixby, Jr. Revocable Trust dated July 28, 1999 (&quot;WEB Jr. Trust&quot;) declined by 47,790 shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The WEB Jr. Trust is a general partner of the Partnership and, in that capacity, shares with the other general partners of the Partnership the power to dispose of all of the 2,358,340 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership.  The WEB Jr. Trust may be deemed to have a pecuniary interest only in 1,725,834 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership, and disclaims beneficial ownership of all other shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>A. Craig Mason, Jr., Attorney in Fact for Walter E. Bixby, Co-trustee</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-02-23</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>A. Craig Mason, Jr., Attorney in Fact for Robert Philip Bixby, Co-trustee</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-02-23</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Angeline I. Bixby, Co-trustee</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-02-23</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
