City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 16.8% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $116,800 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,071 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Lansing, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,402 → $111,119), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −19.0% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lansing, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,812 in Urban Honolulu | $85,608 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,071/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Lansing → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,438 | −19.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,964 | −19.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,445 | −19.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,119 | −19.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,310 | −19.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $73,080 | $62,562 (−14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $120,230 | $102,926 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $74,990 | $64,197 (−19.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $139,260 | $119,217 (+41.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.