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

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>5</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-12-31</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>0001096552</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BIXBY ROBERT PHILIP</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>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>CEO &amp; Chairman of the Board</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock $1.25 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-12-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2388</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>328807</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock $1.25 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-12-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>29221</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2140188</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnotes</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective on December 31, 2010, pursuant to the mandatory provisions of the agreement of WEB Interests, Ltd., a Texas partnership (the &quot;Partnership&quot;), (a) 43,832 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 Class A and C limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the Walter E. Bixby, Jr. Revocable Trust dated July 28, 1999 (&quot;WEB Jr. Trust&quot;), for which Mr. Bixby serves as a co-trustee, were transferred to Class B limited partners of the Partnership; (b) 4 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership and attributable to the general partner interest of the Partnership held by Mr. Bixby individually were transferred to Class B limited partners of the Partnership;</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">(cont. of Footnote 1) and (c) 14,615 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership were transferred to the Class B limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the GST Robert Philip Bixby Trust and the Issue Trust for Robert Philip Bixby (collectively, the &quot;RPB Trusts&quot;), for which Mr. Bixby serves as the sole trustee.  Mr. Bixby disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Mr. Bixby 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 shares reported include 1,968,529 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership, which consist of: (a) 1,773,624 shares attributable to the limited and general partner interests of the Partnership held by the WEB Jr. Trust, for which Mr. Bixby serves as a co-trustee; (b) 181 shares attributable to the general partner interest of the Partnership held by Mr. Bixby individually;and (c) 194,724 shares attributable to the limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the RPB Trusts, for which Mr. Bixby serves as the sole trustee.  Mr. Bixby disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">(cont. of Footnote 3) The shares reported also include 171,659 shares of the 395,785 shares of Common Stock owned by the Walter E. Bixby Descendents Trust, for which Mr. Bixby serves as a co-trustee.  These 171,659 shares held by that trust for the benefit of Mr. Bixby's children sharing the same household.  Mr. Bixby disclaims beneficial ownership of the remaining 224,126 shares held by that trust as he has no pecuniary interest in them.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The shares reported do not include any shares of Common Stock owned in any of the Issuer's benefit plans.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Robert Philip Bixby, signed by A. Craig Mason, Jr. as power of attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-02-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
