City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 1.4% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $101,400 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,164 a month in Columbia, SC versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbia, SC and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $844 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Columbia, SC to Lansing, MI ($106,437 → $117,402), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.8% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Columbia, SC | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,419 in Lansing | $98,601 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$844/yr.
64 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Columbia, SC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$844/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Lansing, MI | Real change, Columbia → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,081 | +8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,372 | +8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $98,729 | +8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,402 | +8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $138,734 | +8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $72,930 | $71,910 (+19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $97,120 | $95,761 (−22.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $79,210 | $78,102 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $84,320 | $83,140 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.