City comparison
Lansing, MI vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 18.5% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $118,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.8% moving from Lansing, MI to New York, NY ($117,402 → $125,431), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,499 in New York | $84,389 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | New York, NY | Real change, Lansing → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $72,737 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $88,005 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $105,481 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $125,431 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $148,222 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | New York, NY | New York pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $96,900 | $81,773 (+12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $166,830 | $140,786 (+45.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $105,650 | $89,157 (+12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $119,720 | $101,031 (+19.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.