City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 9.1% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $109,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $806 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Lansing, MI ($118,984 → $117,402), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,695 in Lansing | $109,058 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$806/yr.
97 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$806/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Lansing, MI | Real change, Chicago → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $68,081 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $82,372 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $98,729 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $117,402 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $138,734 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $72,930 | $79,536 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $97,120 | $105,917 (−21.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $79,210 | $86,385 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $84,320 | $91,957 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.