Cost Of Living In East Lansing, MI

East Lansing cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	East Lansing	Michigan	National
Cost of living index	96	89	100
Index	East Lansing	Michigan	National
Goods & Services index	93	94	100
Groceries index	89	94	100
Health care index	94	100	100
Housing index	98	73	100
Transportation index	112	101	100
Utilities index	101	96	100

A general summary of the cost of living index in East Lansing, MI is shown above. Compared to the state average of Michigan the cost of living index in East Lansing, MI is 96, which is 8% higher than the average in Michigan and compared to the national average it is 4% lower than. The cost of living index is made up of several categories. These are transportation at 9%, utilities at 10%, goods and services at 33%, housing at 30%, groceries at 13%, and health care at 5%. The bulk of the cost of living index comes from the categories of goods and services and housing. If you look at everyday goods and services they can be a good indicator in a certain city of the general costs of goods there. In East Lansing, MI goods and services come in at 2% lower than the average in Michigan and are 8% lower than compared to the nationwide average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in East Lansing is 8% higher than the Michigan average.
The cost of living in East Lansing is 4% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in East Lansing is 2% lower than the national average.
Michigan general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average.
Michigan state income tax is 91% higher than the national average.

Find Real Estate Listings In East Lansing

New Real Estate Listings In East Lansing

Compare East Lansing, MI Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

This is how much you would need to earn in

Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is meant to help you compare your salary in East Lansing, MI to your potential earning power in another city. This can help you deduce what your salary would need to be in any given city in order for you to live the same lifestyle that you do in your current city. In other words, if you plan on moving to a city where the cost of living is higher than in East Lansing, MI, you'll have to make more money in the new city in order to maintain the lifestyle you currently enjoy. To use the East Lansing, MI salary calculator, simply input the new city, then move the adjustable slider to match your current income. Once you've selected your income, the calculator will determine if that income is sufficient to support your standard of living in the new city you entered. The calculator will also supply you with a rundown of living costs in the new city.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$93,385	$7,782	$2,179	$2,802
Renters	$19,095	$1,591	$446	$573

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in East Lansing, MI by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in East Lansing, MI have a median income of $93,385. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $2,179 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $19,095, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $446.

Michigan Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Michigan	6%	6%

Michigan Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Michigan	4.25%	4.25%

When assessing the complete cost of living in East Lansing, MI, the Michigan income tax and the Michigan sales tax percentages should unquestionably be taken into consideration. Sales taxes aren't just levies imposed onto sold goods, but they also include taxes that are charged when services are provided for a fee. The rates are different from state to state and can run has high as 7 percent. Some states have no sales tax at all. The Michigan maximum surtax is 6%, and the Michigan sales tax is 6%. By contrast, income tax is an unfortunate obligation that is charged by the government against earnings. Just like sales taxes, the rates for income taxes differ from state to state. They also decrease or increase according to the individual's tax bracket. Tax rates can run as high as 9 percent, with a minimum of zero. Income tax rates range from 4.25% to 4.25% in Michigan.

Goods & Services

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$18.91	$15.56	21.5%
Beauty Salon	$28.31	$36.11	21.6%
Toothpaste	$2.60	$2.47	5.3%
Shampoo	$0.79	$0.96	18.2%
Movie	$9.53	$10.13	5.9%
Bowling	$3.79	$4.74	20.1%

Groceries

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.53	$3.98	11.4%
Fried Chicken	$1.20	$1.41	14.7%
Milk	$1.92	$2.06	6.9%
Potatoes	$3.18	$2.98	6.7%
Pizza	$8.10	$9.47	14.5%
Beer	$8.03	$8.79	8.7%

Health Care

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$99.79	$101.04	1.2%
Doctor	$101.28	$107.44	5.7%
Dentist	$80.40	$90.42	11.1%
Ibuprofen	$7.64	$9.28	17.7%
Lipitor	$455.01	$426.50	6.7%

Housing

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$174,100.00	$175,700.00	0.9%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$939.34	$1,133.23	17.1%
Apartment Rent	$876.00	$920.00	4.8%

Transportation

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.05	$1.99	2.7%
Tire Balancing	$60.11	$45.76	31.4%

Utilities

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$202.21	$163.81	23.4%
Phone	$20.05	$28.39	29.4%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Potterville, MI	2,621	84	-16%
Lansing, MI	114,382	84	-16%
Perry, MI	1,923	84	-16%
Edgemont Park, MI	2,242	86	-14%
Laingsburg, MI	1,283	87	-13%
East Lansing, MI	48,611	96	-4%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Roswell, NM	48,568	88	-12%
Grapevine, TX	48,671	112	12%
Galveston, TX	48,513	92	-8%
Cypress, CA	48,748	154	54%
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	48,758	159	59%
East Lansing, MI	48,611	96	-4%

Source: The East Lansing, MI cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for the fourth quarter of 2016.

East Lansing, MI Cost of Living