City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Lansing, MI (95.0) and Savannah, GA (95.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Lansing, MI goes as far as $100,200 in Savannah, GA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $568 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Savannah, GA ($117,402 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,226 in Savannah | $99,774 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Savannah, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$568/yr.
68 Fair offer
Savannah, GA → Lansing, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$568/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Savannah, GA | Real change, Lansing → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $61,722 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $74,678 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,508 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,437 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $125,776 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $63,710 | $63,566 (−12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $123,220 | $122,942 (+26.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $79,790 | $79,610 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $86,760 | $86,564 (+2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.