City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 3.4% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $103,400 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $465 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Provo, UT ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.3% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,412 in Provo | $96,701 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Provo, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$465/yr.
58 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$465/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Provo, UT | Real change, Lansing → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $62,930 | $60,854 (−16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $131,210 | $126,881 (+30.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $75,700 | $73,202 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $81,780 | $79,082 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.