City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 19.6% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $119,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Lansing, MI to Los Angeles, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.6% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,554 in Los Angeles | $83,644 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Lansing → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $101,860 | $85,200 (+16.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $160,920 | $134,600 (+38.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $94,360 | $78,926 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $135,560 | $113,388 (+34.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.