2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Grand Rapids, MI vs Fairfax, VA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Fairfax or is it cheaper to live in Grand Rapids?
- Fairfax is 50.7% more expensive than Grand Rapids.

Which city has more affordable housing, Fairfax or Grand Rapids?
- Fairfax housing costs are 186.2% more expensive than Grand Rapids housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Grand Rapids or is Health Care more affordable in Fairfax.
- Health related expenses are 26.5% more in Fairfax.
 Grand Rapids, MIFairfax, VAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock142.4100
 Food & Groceries95.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock102.7100
 Housing78.2  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$654,200$338,100
 Utilities100  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock127.6100
 Miscellaneous100.7  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Grand Rapids    62 Reviews

I've lived in Grand Rapids about 85% of my life and can confidently say it is a great place to live for anyone. I know countless people who dogged the city, moved  More

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Grand Rapids proper - the small city - is fairly OK. Nothing special stands out about it when judged against the nicer areas of the US, but it has some decent dining and  More

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Wow. “bland Rapids and everyone is Smug, uptight and part of the Christian Reformed Church. “ Someone is accurately describing Grand Rapids in 1985. Much has changed  More

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Reviews for Fairfax    28 Reviews

I lived in the area for 17 years through high school until I eventually became a truck driver. Having now seen most states extensively, I wanted to fairly review what  More

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Living in Fairfax, or any of the Northern Virginia suburbs of DC, means dealing with highways that are a Gordian knot of converging lanes and overpasses, making long  More

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Over 10 years ago

The Cost of living here is high. Though the standard of living is also high, unless you're making over 50,000/year, it's difficult to both live and build any sort of  More

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