Moving to Illinois from Michigan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Michigan to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Michigan to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 14.9% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $79,696 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $79,696
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.5% more
Groceries
pay 4.5% more
Transportation
pay 13.7% more
Housing
pay 9.8% more
Childcare
pay 34.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Michigan.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Michigan generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Michigan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Illinois leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Michigan performs better than Illinois across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Michigan generally does better on infrastructure, though Illinois leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Michigan leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Illinois performs significantly better than Michigan across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lansing | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lansing | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Michigan?
On average Illinois is around 6% pricier than Michigan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $19,924 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Illinois safe?
Michigan generally does better on safety, though Illinois leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Michigan?
Michigan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Illinois leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Michigan?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.
