Moving to Indiana from Michigan

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Michigan to Indiana — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Michigan to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 0.1% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $74,507 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Michigan to Indiana.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $74,507

To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.6% less

Groceries

pay 5.0% less

Transportation

pay 5.0% less

Housing

pay 2.4% more

Childcare

pay 10.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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

How Michigan and Indiana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
453
IN
327
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
1533
IN
1519

Indiana performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MI
4.9%
IN
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MI
36.0%
IN
38.5%

Michigan performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MI
$217,600
IN
$201,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MI
$1,084
IN
$1,020

Indiana generally does better on what about housing?, though Michigan leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MI
89.4%
IN
88.5%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MI
24 min
IN
24 min

Michigan generally does better on infrastructure, though Indiana leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MI
4.8%
IN
2.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MI
$55,508
IN
$59,083

Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Michigan leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MI
76.0 yrs
IN
75.0 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MI
22%
IN
19%

Michigan performs better than Indiana 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.

LansingRain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58°/40°F

Avg. annual high / low

IndianapolisRain: 40.8 in/yr (1036 mm)
62°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsLansingIndianapolis
Jan–Mar36°/21°F (2°/-6°C)42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun68°/48°F (20°/9°C)72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Jul–Sep79°/57°F (26°/14°C)81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec47°/32°F (9°/0°C)51°/35°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
MonthLansingIndianapolis
Jan31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C)35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C)
Feb34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C)40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C)
Mar44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C)51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C)
Apr58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C)63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C)
May69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C)72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C)
Jun78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C)81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Jul82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C)84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C)
Aug81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C)83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C)
Sep74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C)77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C)
Oct60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C)64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C)
Nov47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C)52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C)
Dec35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C)38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Indiana than Michigan?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Indiana and Michigan; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Indiana?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,627 in Indiana for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Indiana safe?

Indiana performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Michigan?

Michigan performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Michigan?

The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.

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