City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 5.1% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $105,100 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI and $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,955 in OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Oklahoma City, OK ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,175 in Oklahoma City | $105,069 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
85 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Lansing → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $48,780 | $51,253 (−29.7%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $122,390 | $128,594 (+32.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $77,280 | $81,198 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $82,920 | $87,123 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.