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 | Sterling Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,080/mo | $1,215/mo | 11.1% lower in A |
| Median home value | $240,800 | $243,400 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $44,094 | $75,381 | 41.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 98.1 | 3.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.4 | 102.4 | 7.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 100.9 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 101.5 | 2.1% 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 $107,292 in Sterling Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
East Lansing, MI is about 6.8% cheaper overall than Sterling Heights, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in East Lansing than in Sterling Heights. If you earn $80,000 in East Lansing, you'd need about $85,834 in Sterling Heights to keep the same standard of living.