City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lansing, MI (95.0) and Pittsburgh, PA (94.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lansing, MI goes as far as $99,700 in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $929 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Pittsburgh, PA ($117,402 → $110,047), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.9% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,663 in Pittsburgh | $100,338 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$929/yr.
70 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$929/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Lansing → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,815 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,211 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $92,543 | −5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $110,047 | −5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $130,042 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $76,550 | $76,809 (+5.3%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $124,500 | $124,921 (+28.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $76,940 | $77,200 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $82,370 | $82,648 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.