Cost of living in East Lansing research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means East Lansing is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in East Lansing is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in East Lansing is 0.9x lower than the national average.
East Lansing ranks as the #124 cheapest in Michigan out of 175.
East Lansing ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in East Lansing is $203,400.
The median income in East Lansing is $41,177.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, East Lansing has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, East Lansing has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Michigan's index of 92.
The standard of living in East Lansing ranks as #124 most affordable out of the 175 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies East Lansing ranks as the #51 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in East Lansing, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in East Lansing. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in East Lansing is 96.
The Groceries index in East Lansing is 87.
The Health index in East Lansing is 93.
The Housing index in East Lansing is 97.
The Transportation index in East Lansing is 105.
The Utilities index in East Lansing is 99.
Living Expense | East Lansing | Michigan | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 96 | 96 | 100 | |
Groceries | 87 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 93 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 97 | 80 | 100 | |
Transportation | 105 | 97 | 100 | |
Utilities | 99 | 100 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in East Lansing is $203,400.
The Median Rent in East Lansing is $990.
The Median Income in East Lansing is $41,177.
The Home Value To Income in East Lansing is 4.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in East Lansing is 0.29x.
Statistic | East Lansing | Michigan | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $203,400 | $172,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $990 | $946 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $41,177 | $63,202 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.9x | 2.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.29x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | East Lansing | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.89 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.37 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $16.78 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.22 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $32.55 | $39.05 |
Item | East Lansing | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.5 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.12 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.59 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.75 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.16 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.21 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.98 | $2.34 |
Item | East Lansing | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $105.11 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $98.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $94.78 | $99.13 |
Item | East Lansing | Michigan |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.23 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $60.0 | $50.07 |
Item | East Lansing | Michigan |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $170.23 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.0 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around East Lansing. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lansing, MI has a cost of living index of 85, 0.9x East Lansing.
Holt, MI has a cost of living index of 86, 0.9x East Lansing.
Okemos, MI has a cost of living index of 101, 1.1x East Lansing.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. East Lansing |
---|---|---|---|
Lansing, MI | 113,592 | 85 | 0.9x |
Holt, MI | 25,755 | 86 | 0.9x |
Okemos, MI | 25,179 | 101 | 1.1x |
Waverly, MI | 23,328 | 94 | 1.0x |
Haslett, MI | 19,333 | 93 | 1.0x |
Mason, MI | 8,307 | 85 | 0.9x |
Grand Ledge, MI | 7,792 | 87 | 0.9x |
St. Johns, MI | 7,700 | 90 | 0.9x |
Eaton Rapids, MI | 5,211 | 78 | 0.8x |