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 | East Lansing | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,080/mo | $1,322/mo | 18.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $240,800 | $340,200 | 29.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $44,094 | $72,092 | 38.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 97.7 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.4 | 102.9 | 8.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 104.2 | 5.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 104.0 | 4.4% lower 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 East Lansing, you'd need $118,115 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
East Lansing, MI is about 15.3% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 28% lower in East Lansing than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in East Lansing, you'd need about $94,492 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.