City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Montgomery, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 5.9% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $105,900 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $736 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Montgomery, AL ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Montgomery, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 89.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,411 in Montgomery | $105,920 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $870/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $44,950 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Montgomery, AL MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Montgomery, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 64.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 84.9 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 89.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$736/yr.
87 Strong offer
Montgomery, AL → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$736/yr.
51 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Montgomery, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Montgomery, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Montgomery, AL | Real change, Lansing → Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Montgomery, AL | Montgomery pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,540 | $113,270 | $119,975 (+23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $110,620 | $117,168 (+20.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $75,040 | $79,482 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $79,570 | $84,280 (−0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.