East Lansing, MI Cost Of Living

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	88	100
Index	East Lansing	Michigan	National
Goods & Services index	97	93	100
Groceries index	97	91	100
Health care index	95	94	100
Housing index	95	74	100
Transportation index	106	103	100
Utilities index	87	91	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 10% 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 5% higher than the average in Michigan and are 3% lower than compared to the nationwide average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in East Lansing is 10% 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 5% 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.

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Salary Calculator

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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	$98,590	$8,216	$2,300	$2,958
Renters	$20,686	$1,724	$483	$621

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 $98,590. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $2,300 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $20,686, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $483.

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	$19.39	$16.09	20.5%
Beauty Salon	$37.45	$37.33	0.3%
Toothpaste	$2.04	$2.45	16.6%
Shampoo	$0.81	$1.00	19.0%
Movie	$10.74	$10.28	4.5%
Bowling	$3.26	$4.93	34.0%

Groceries

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.62	$3.80	4.7%
Fried Chicken	$1.26	$1.40	9.8%
Milk	$1.59	$2.01	21.0%
Potatoes	$3.08	$3.01	2.3%
Pizza	$9.99	$9.89	1.1%
Beer	$8.30	$8.90	6.8%

Health Care

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$91.22	$102.16	10.7%
Doctor	$97.56	$108.36	10.0%
Dentist	$88.11	$92.53	4.8%
Ibuprofen	$8.56	$9.28	7.8%
Lipitor	$448.91	$425.82	5.4%

Housing

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$176,500.00	$184,700.00	4.4%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,008.81	$1,202.44	16.1%
Apartment Rent	$896.00	$949.00	5.6%

Transportation

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.49	$2.24	10.9%
Tire Balancing	$44.77	$46.29	3.3%

Utilities

Item	East Lansing	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$169.08	$165.96	1.9%
Phone	$20.00	$28.68	30.3%

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	77	-23%
Lansing, MI	114,773	84	-16%
Perry, MI	2,067	85	-15%
Edgemont Park, MI	2,148	85	-15%
Laingsburg, MI	1,216	88	-12%
East Lansing, MI	48,395	96	-4%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Roswell, NM	48,407	85	-15%
Parker, CO	48,442	123	23%
Antelope, CA	48,325	118	18%
Newark, OH	48,477	86	-14%
Azusa, CA	48,498	129	29%
East Lansing, MI	48,395	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 2017.

East Lansing, MI Cost of Living