City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 8.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $108,800 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,708 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Lansing, MI to Phoenix, AZ ($117,402 → $111,338), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,764 in Phoenix | $91,942 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,708/yr.
44 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,708/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Lansing → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,564 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $78,117 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,629 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,338 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,568 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $59,180 | $54,411 (−25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $131,750 | $121,134 (+24.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $80,820 | $74,308 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $100,830 | $92,705 (+9.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.