City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ann Arbor | Grand Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $1,138/mo | 29.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $203,900 | 104.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $61,634 | 27.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 106.5 | 101.7 | 4.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 93.5 | 88.0 | 6.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.5 | 91.0 | 9.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.3 | 91.1 | 12.2% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need $85,664 in Grand Rapids to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Grand Rapids, MI is about 14.3% cheaper overall than Ann Arbor, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Grand Rapids than in Ann Arbor. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $68,531 in Grand Rapids to keep the same standard of living.