<?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>0001097685</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>VOGEL LEE M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O KANSAS CITY LIFE INSURANCE CO</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>3520 BROADWAY</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>KANSAS CTIY</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>2010-12-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1300</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1300</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </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>3358</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1024837</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </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) 32,795 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 Issue Trust for Lee M. Vogel (the &quot;Vogel Trust&quot;), for which Mr. Vogel 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 Mr. Vogel individually were transferred to Class B limited partners of the Partnership; and</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">(cont. of Footnote 1) (c) 36,163 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership was transferred to Class B limited partner interests of the Partnership held by the Vogel Trust, for which Mr. Vogel serves as a co-trustee.  Mr. Vogel 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. Vogel 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 1,019,039 shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership, which consist of: (a) 1,018,844 shares attributable to the limited and general partner interests of the Partnership held by the Vogel Trust, for which Mr. Vogel serves as a co-trustee, and (b) 195 shares attributable to the general partner interest of the Partnership held by Mr. Vogel individually.  Mr. Vogel disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Common Stock owned by the Partnership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.  The shares reported also include 5,798 shares of Common Stock owned by the Lee M. Vogel Revocable Trust dated as of March 15, 2005, for which Mr. Vogel is a beneficiary and serves as trustee.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Mr. Vogel is a party to a Voting Agreement dated October 31, 2004 with members of the extended family of Walter E. Bixby, Jr., pursuant to which Voting Agreement Mr. Vogel has the sole voting power for all shares of Common Stock owned by the family group.  Except for the shares reported herein, Mr. Vogel disclaims beneficial ownership in all shares of Common Stock subject to the Voting Agreement as he has no pecuniary interest in them.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Lee M. Vogel, signed by A. Craig Mason, Jr. as power of attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-02-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
