City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lansing, MI are 6.4% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $106,400 in Lansing, MI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,012 a month in Lansing, MI versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Lansing, MI and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Lansing, MI ($112,556 → $117,402), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,378 in Lansing | $94,005 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Lansing, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
50 Fair offer
Lansing, MI → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Columbus → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $68,081 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $82,372 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $98,729 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $117,402 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $138,734 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $72,930 | $68,558 (+11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $97,120 | $91,297 (−21.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $79,210 | $74,461 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $84,320 | $79,265 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.