Romulus, MI Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Romulus. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Romulus compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Romulus, Michigan

Cost of living in Romulus 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 Romulus 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:

90 Cost of living index 0.9x lower vs US
#71 Cheapest in Michigan (of 179)
#1,055 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$203,009 Median home value
$1,049 Median rent
$69,151 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Romulus, MI?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Romulus has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Michigan, Romulus has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Michigan's index of 91.

The standard of living in Romulus ranks as #71 most affordable out of the 179 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Romulus ranks as the #108 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.

For more reading on life in Romulus, check out:

Romulus Cost Of Living Vs. Michigan

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Romulus. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Romulus is 95.

  • The Groceries index in Romulus is 97.

  • The Health index in Romulus is 70.

  • The Housing index in Romulus is 101.

  • The Transportation index in Romulus is 101.

  • The Utilities index in Romulus is 100.

Living Expense Romulus Michigan National Average
Overall 90 91 100
Services 95 97 100
Groceries 97 98 100
Health 70 75 100
Housing 101 98 100
Transportation 101 101 100
Utilities 100 98 100

Romulus Cost Of Living Compared To Michigan Averages

Services
Romulus 95
Michigan avg 97
Groceries
Romulus 97
Michigan avg 98
Health
Romulus 70
Michigan avg 75
Housing
Romulus 101
Michigan avg 98
Transportation
Romulus 101
Michigan avg 101
Utilities
Romulus 100
Michigan avg 98

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Michigan, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Romulus, MI Housing Cost Breakdown

$203,009Median Home Value
$1,049Median Rent
$69,151Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Romulus is $203,009.

  • The Median Rent in Romulus is $1,049.

  • The Median Income in Romulus is $69,151.

  • The Home Value To Income in Romulus is 2.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Romulus is 0.18x.

Statistic Romulus Michigan United States
Median Home Value $203,009 $259,857 $332,700
Median Rent $1,049 $1,129 $1,413
Median Income $69,151 $72,875 $80,734
Home Value To Income 2.9x 3.6x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.18x 0.19x 0.21x

Romulus, MI Costs By Category

Detailed Romulus Services costs vs. Michigan
Item Romulus Michigan
Shampoo $1.13 $1.28
Movie $12.99 $12.13
Bowling $12.33 $18
Haircut $16.8 $24.26
Beauty Salon $24.78 $45.56
Detailed Romulus Groceries costs vs. Michigan
Item Romulus Michigan
Ground Beef $5.75 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.41 $1.57
Milk $4.78 $4.67
Potatoes $4.8 $4.93
Pizza $8.99 $12.09
Beer $9.04 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.66 $3.7
Detailed Romulus Health costs vs. Michigan
Item Romulus Michigan
Optometrist $85.0 $125.68
Doctor $103.33 $135.78
Dentist $91.0 $113.29
Detailed Romulus Transportation costs vs. Michigan
Item Romulus Michigan
Gasoline $3.35 $3.46
Tire Balancing $56.0 $59.92
Detailed Romulus Utilities costs vs. Michigan
Item Romulus Michigan
All Electricity $219.2 $193.99
Phone $184.44 $192.25

Romulus SnackAbility

5Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 6/10
Affordability 8.5/10
Diversity 9/10
Safety 4/10
Amenities 8/10
Education 6/10
Commute 8/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Romulus

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Romulus. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Ann Arbor, MI has a cost of living index of 122, 1.4x Romulus.

  • Livonia, MI has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x Romulus.

  • Westland, MI has a cost of living index of 92, 1.0x Romulus.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Romulus
Ann Arbor, MI 122,036 122 1.4x
Livonia, MI 93,851 101 1.1x
Westland, MI 83,633 92 1.0x
Farmington Hills, MI 83,515 112 1.2x
Novi, MI 66,717 116 1.3x
Taylor, MI 62,081 88 1.0x
Dearborn Heights, MI 61,771 93 1.0x
Southgate, MI 29,366 94 1.0x
Allen Park, MI 27,925 94 1.0x
Inkster, MI 25,428 84 0.9x