Cost of living in Lansing research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lansing is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lansing is 85, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lansing is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Lansing ranks as the #41 cheapest in Michigan out of 180.
Lansing ranks as the #511 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lansing is $161,773.
The median income in Lansing is $52,170.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lansing has an overall cost of living index of 85, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Lansing has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 90.
The standard of living in Lansing ranks as #41 most affordable out of the 180 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Lansing ranks as the #139 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Lansing, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lansing. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lansing is 90.
The Groceries index in Lansing is 96.
The Health index in Lansing is 92.
The Housing index in Lansing is 58.
The Transportation index in Lansing is 97.
The Utilities index in Lansing is 101.
| Living Expense | Lansing | Michigan | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 90 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 92 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 58 | 72 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 97 | 96 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 101 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lansing is $161,773.
The Median Rent in Lansing is $976.
The Median Income in Lansing is $52,170.
The Home Value To Income in Lansing is 3.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lansing is 0.22x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lansing. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
East Lansing, MI has a cost of living index of 98, 1.2x Lansing.
Okemos, MI has a cost of living index of 104, 1.2x Lansing.
Holt, MI has a cost of living index of 95, 1.1x Lansing.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing, MI | 45,394 | 98 | 1.2x |
| Okemos, MI | 25,503 | 104 | 1.2x |
| Holt, MI | 25,275 | 95 | 1.1x |
| Waverly, MI | 23,301 | 95 | 1.1x |
| Haslett, MI | 19,025 | 97 | 1.1x |
| Charlotte, MI | 9,269 | 84 | 1.0x |
| Mason, MI | 8,239 | 88 | 1.0x |
| Grand Ledge, MI | 7,797 | 92 | 1.1x |
| St. Johns, MI | 7,712 | 87 | 1.0x |
| Eaton Rapids, MI | 5,197 | 84 | 1.0x |