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 | Chicago | East Lansing | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,080/mo | 21.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $240,800 | 26.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $44,094 | 62.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 94.5 | 10.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 86.2 | 94.4 | 8.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 98.8 | 1.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.6 | 99.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $88,437 in East Lansing to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
East Lansing, MI is about 11.6% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in East Lansing than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $70,749 in East Lansing to keep the same standard of living.