<?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>0001097683</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUDSON NANCY BIXBY</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>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </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>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>3010</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2273849</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote (3)</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective on December 31, 2010, pursuant to the mandatory provisions of the agreement of JRB Interests, Ltd., a Texas partnership (the &quot;Partnership&quot;), (a) 65,598 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 C limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the GST Nancy Bixby Hudson Trust and the Issue Trust for Nancy Bixby Hudson (collectively, the &quot;NBH Trusts&quot;), for which Ms. Hudson serves as a co-trustee, were transferred to Class B limited partners of the Partnership; (b) 10 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership and attributable to the general partner interest of the Partnership held by Ms. Hudson individually were transferred to Class B limited partners of the Partnership; and</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">(cont. of Footnote 1) (c) 62,598 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership were transferred to the Class B limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the NBH Trusts, for which Ms. Hudson serves as a co-trustee.  Ms. Hudson disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership except to the extent of her pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Ms. Hudson 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 2,966,312 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership.  The shares reported include 1,942,283 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership, which consist of: (a) 1,942,088 shares attributable to the limited and general partner interests of the Partnership held by the NBH Trusts, for which Ms. Hudson serves as a co-trustee, and (b) 195 shares attributable to the general partner interest of the Partnership held by Ms. Hudson individually.  Ms. Hudson disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership except to the extent of her pecuniary interest therein.  The shares reported also include 331,566 shares of Common Stock owned by the Nancy Bixby Hudson Trust dated December 11, 1997, for which Ms. Hudson is a beneficiary and serves as trustee.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

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