Sault Ste. Marie, MI Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Sault Ste. Marie, MI Summary

Cost of living in Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie is 87, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Sault Ste. Marie is 0.9x lower than the national average.

  • Sault Ste. Marie ranks as the #50 cheapest in Michigan out of 180.

  • Sault Ste. Marie ranks as the #777 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Sault Ste. Marie is $151,310.

  • The median income in Sault Ste. Marie is $55,031.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
87
Sault Ste. Marie's Overall Cost Of Living
0.9x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Sault Ste. Marie, MI?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sault Ste. Marie has an overall cost of living index of 87, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Michigan's index of 90.

The standard of living in Sault Ste. Marie ranks as #50 most affordable out of the 180 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Sault Ste. Marie ranks as the #130 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.

For more reading on life in Sault Ste. Marie, check out:

50 out of 180
In Michigan
777 out of 6,489
In America

Sault Ste. Marie Cost Of Living Vs. Michigan

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sault Ste. Marie. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Sault Ste. Marie is 96.

  • The Groceries index in Sault Ste. Marie is 97.

  • The Health index in Sault Ste. Marie is 96.

  • The Housing index in Sault Ste. Marie is 63.

  • The Transportation index in Sault Ste. Marie is 100.

  • The Utilities index in Sault Ste. Marie is 97.

Living Expense Sault Ste. Marie Michigan National Average
Overall 87 90 100
Services 96 93 100
Groceries 97 97 100
Health 96 91 100
Housing 63 72 100
Transportation 100 96 100
Utilities 97 99 100
For more reading on cost of living around Michigan, check out:
Sault Ste. Marie Cost of Living Vs. MI

Sault Ste. Marie, MI Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Sault Ste. Marie is $151,310.

  • The Median Rent in Sault Ste. Marie is $787.

  • The Median Income in Sault Ste. Marie is $55,031.

  • The Home Value To Income in Sault Ste. Marie is 2.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Sault Ste. Marie is 0.17x.

Statistic Sault Ste. Marie Michigan United States
Median Home Value $151,310 $258,642 $303,400
Median Rent $787 $1,084 $1,348
Median Income $55,031 $71,149 $78,538
Home Value To Income 2.7x 3.6x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.17x 0.18x 0.21x
$151,310
Median Home Value
$787
Median Rent
$55,031
Median Income

Sault Ste. Marie, MI Costs By Category

Detailed Sault Ste. Marie Services Costs Vs. Michigan

Item Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
Shampoo $1.29 $1.28
Movie $14.24 $12.13
Bowling $17.83 $18
Haircut $20.11 $24.26
Beauty Salon $30.55 $45.56

Detailed Sault Ste. Marie Groceries Costs Vs. Michigan

Item Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
Ground Beef $6.1 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.42 $1.57
Milk $4.73 $4.67
Potatoes $4.35 $4.93
Pizza $10.54 $12.09
Beer $8.87 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.73 $3.7

Detailed Sault Ste. Marie Health Costs Vs. Michigan

Item Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
Optometrist $78.75 $125.68
Doctor $157.9 $135.78
Dentist $104.06 $113.29

Detailed Sault Ste. Marie Transportation Costs Vs. Michigan

Item Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
Gasoline $3.32 $3.46
Tire Balancing $63.04 $59.92

Detailed Sault Ste. Marie Utilities Costs Vs. Michigan

Item Sault Ste. Marie Michigan
All Electricity $191.22 $193.99
Phone $185.4 $192.25

Sault Ste. Marie SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
5/10
Housing
5
Affordability
8
Diversity
8.5
Safety
7
Amenities
8
Education
8
Commute
10

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