# Cost of living in Michigan



## fab (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi,
I will move to Michigan soon as the company I am working for (in Europe) is opening there a new office near Detroit: I guess I will be given an L1 visa.
I will move with my wife (we do not have children) and I am trying to figure out if a salary of $ 80K / year would be enough.
I do not know if my wife will be allowed to work, actually she won't be able to at least for a while (she should improve her english first).
We have no special needings: just a car (not too big, not too small) and a house (not too old) in a safe area. 
Talking about "safe places", Detroit does not have a good reputation (I really do not know if what they say it is true), so some suggestions about the areas to avoid and the good ones are more than appreciated.

Thank you in advance
fab


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## etril (May 26, 2010)

Hi Fab,

My uncle worked in Detroit for a long time, so I will try to answer your questions. 

That salary should be plenty, especially as prices have generally fallen in Michigan with the recession. (For comparison, I think $80k is about normal for a mid/senior engineer in the auto industry.) 

You're right that you will need a car because Detroit is not a very good place to live, and you will probably have to drive to work. A lot of the suburbs are nice, it just depends what you are looking for. My uncle lived in Fenton, which was about an hour from Detroit. For me, I love Ann Arbor (45 min from Detroit) - it might be nice for your wife, though, because the university is right there and it is a very friendly, walkable city. I unfortunately don't know much about the closer suburbs to Detroit.

Good Luck!
E


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## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

fab said:


> Hi,
> I will move to Michigan soon as the company I am working for (in Europe) is opening there a new office near Detroit: I guess I will be given an L1 visa.
> I will move with my wife (we do not have children) and I am trying to figure out if a salary of $ 80K / year would be enough.
> I do not know if my wife will be allowed to work, actually she won't be able to at least for a while (she should improve her english first).
> ...


With that salary, you should be able to BUY yourself a swanky house in a rather nice neighborhood, a car, and still live comfortably just about anywhere in Michigan.

/sarcasm

I came back to Michigan after a couple of years out of the country. I knew the economy would be bad, but I didn't realize it would be this bad. 

There is NO WAY I would suggest you live in Detroit proper. Sure, there are a few people who have managed to hold onto a decent lifestyle, but the bulk of the rest remain because they can't afford to get out. Gangs and guns are rampant and a large part of the neighborhood areas have been burnt out. It looks like a war zone.

The communities that surround Detroit? Not so bad although it's easy to see how the economic downfall has played out. 

Finding and buying a decent car won't be hard. Getting around is actually rather easy because the road system is laid out well.

No, your wife won't be able to work without a permit. 

Overall, though, you'll find that people will generally be helpful and friendly. 

Oh, and thank your employer for deciding to join the Michigan community. We appreciate your business.


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## fab (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh, and thank your employer for deciding to join the Michigan community. We appreciate your business. [/QUOTE]

Thank to all of you for the very useful information.
bye
fab


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

fab said:


> I guess I will be given an L1 visa.
> .
> I do not know if my wife will be allowed to work, actually she won't be able to at least for a while (she should improve her english first).


If you're on an L!, your wife will be able to work if she applies for an EAD. She can't do this until after she arrives.....and it takes up to 90 days.


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## madmuffy (Dec 5, 2008)

There are a lot of nice areas near Detroit but I will agree with the other posters and advise you NOT to live in Detroit. Birmingham, Novi, West Bloomfield, Troy, Milford, Northville, Farmington Hills, South Lyon, Brighton, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills are all nice areas where you will find a nice home. Search on the internet for real estate to ee what you can get, and welcome to Michigan.


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