Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Lansing, MI and Summerside, PE

For one person, living is cheaper in Summerside, PE: $1,773 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Summerside, PE
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Summerside, PE Living Index

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East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Summerside, PE

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East Lansing, MI and in Summerside, PE

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in East Lansing, MI and in Summerside, PE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in East Lansing, MI versus $1,773 in Summerside, PE.

East Lansing, MI $2,318
Summerside, PE $1,773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in East Lansing, MI versus $2,575 in Summerside, PE.

East Lansing, MI $3,429
Summerside, PE $2,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in East Lansing, MI versus $3,377 in Summerside, PE.

East Lansing, MI $4,540
Summerside, PE $3,377

Living in East Lansing, MI is roughly 31% more expensive than in Summerside, PE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: East Lansing, MI 72% above, Summerside, PE 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 $16.62

$21.01 CA$29.70

-20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$53.8 CA$76.0

37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$10.22 CA$14.44

19.47%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$3.61 CA$5.10

45.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.61 CA$2.28

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.07 CA$2.93

6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.91 CA$6.95

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 $6.47

$4.59 CA$6.49

40.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.67 CA$2.36

-49.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.72 CA$3.85

7.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.56 CA$3.61

102.34%

Eggs

$2.75 $2.75

$3.80 CA$5.38

-27.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$9.21 CA$13.02

18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$8.72 CA$12.32

92.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$9.25 CA$13.07

79.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.56 CA$6.44

14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.50 CA$2.11

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.46 CA$4.89

95.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.74 CA$5.29

-3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.55 CA$3.60

127.84%

Onion (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.56 CA$2.20

262.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.13 CA$3.01

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.63 CA$2.30

142.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.58 $9.58

$11.08 CA$15.66

-13.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 $16.14

$11.91 CA$16.84

35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$4.16 CA$5.88

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.58 CA$5.07

-57.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.38 CA$1.96

15.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 $50.5

$45.19 CA$63.9

11.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 $9.80

$2.86 CA$4.04

242.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.36 CA$1.92

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$21.19 CA$29.95

-53.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.18 CA$1.67

-17.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.0K CA$36.7K

32.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$18.8K CA$26.6K

37.09%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$173 $173

$115 CA$162

50.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$66.0 CA$93.3

-18.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$69.3 CA$97.9

-8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 $36.22

$30.81 CA$43.56

17.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.67 CA$15.09

42.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$10.09 CA$14.26

11.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$645 $645

$582 CA$823

10.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$1,652 CA$2,335

564.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$49.67 CA$70.2

9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 $37.29

$24.57 CA$34.73

51.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$66.4 CA$93.8

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 $85.0

$65.2 CA$92.2

30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 $1,231

$926 CA$1,309

33.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 $1,041

$705 CA$997

47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,653 CA$2,337

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,030 CA$1,455

63.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 $2,070

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$1,114 CA$1,575

43.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,117 $6,117

$2,354 CA$3,328

159.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

4.77

37.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Last update for Summerside, PE: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9%

Summerside, PE

$705 39.8% 32.3% $336

Groceries & Markets

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3%

Summerside, PE

$323 18.2% 27.6% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5%

Summerside, PE

$250 14.1% 13.7% $40

Eating Out

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5%

Summerside, PE

$291 16.4% 0.6% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8%

Summerside, PE

$93 5.2% 16.1% $18

Getting Around

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6%

Summerside, PE

$60 3.4% 27% $22

Sport & Entertainment

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5%

Summerside, PE

$51 2.9% 13% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in East Lansing, MI and $926 in Summerside, PE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 160% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in East Lansing, MI vs $54.0 in Summerside, PE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $323 per month, with Summerside, PE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🇨🇦 Summerside, PE

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

1 h ahead of East Lansing, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,741

16,001

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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East Lansing, MI Summerside, PE 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

East Lansing, MI
Summerside, PE

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

East Lansing, MI vs Summerside, PE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Lansing, MI and Summerside, PE differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,318 vs $1,773 including rent). Summerside, PE is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% higher in East Lansing, MI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,231 in East Lansing, MI versus $926 in Summerside, PE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,318 per month in East Lansing, MI versus $1,773 in Summerside, PE – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Summerside, PE runs roughly 12% less than in East Lansing, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,773 in Summerside, PE versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Summerside, PE but tight or insufficient in East Lansing, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Summerside, PE the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, East Lansing, MI and Summerside, PE are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Summerside, PE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in East Lansing, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.