Cost of Living in Atlanta, Georgia
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Atlanta, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 529,110
- Median household income
- $88,165
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.1
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
Is Atlanta a good place to live?
Atlanta is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 141 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Atlanta keeps $2,963 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of livingAbout the same as the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,713 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,033 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Atlanta
Prices in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area run about the same as the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 11% above the US average.
- Housing11% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)About the same as the US average
- Utilities4% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% below the US average
- All itemsAbout the same as the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,713 | $20,556 |
| Food | $496 | $5,952 |
| Transportation | $392 | $4,704 |
| Healthcare | $340 | $4,080 |
| Utilities | $251 | $3,012 |
| Total before taxes | $3,192 | $38,304 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Atlanta | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,645 | $1,554 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,713 | $1,619 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,866 | $1,762 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,228 | $2,099 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,650 | $2,493 |
Living in Atlanta
How Atlanta compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Atlanta | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,165 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $462,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,765 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 52.3% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 62.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.5 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 26.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 25.6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 5.8% | 3.7% |
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Atlanta, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 60.2% of homes and 93.7% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Atlanta
Pros and cons of living in Atlanta
Pros
- Highly educated workforce. 62.1% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
- Remote-work friendly. 25.6% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
- Fast home internet. 93.7% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $2,963 a year, less than in 141 of 178 large cities.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,765 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
What your job keeps in Atlanta
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $51,170
- Federal income tax
- −$3,960
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,915
- State income tax
- −$2,033
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,556
- Everyday costs
- −$17,743
a year, or $247 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $138,210 | $60,884 |
| Software engineer | $132,960 | $57,568 |
| Project manager | $103,400 | $38,529 |
| Registered nurse | $100,490 | $36,633 |
| Accountant | $85,820 | $27,075 |
| Teacher | $76,469 | $20,981 |
| Truck driver | $59,100 | $8,924 |
| Electrician | $58,650 | $8,585 |
| Medical assistant | $46,060 | −$878 |
| Nursing assistant | $39,350 | −$5,920 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Atlanta on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $3,174
- Carpenter $2,595
- Civil engineer $28,495
- Data scientist $42,139
- Dental assistant −$13
- Dental hygienist $36,556
- Dentist $116,019
- Diesel mechanic $11,306
- Financial analyst $36,855
- Firefighter $55
- HVAC technician $8,826
- Licensed practical nurse $13,403
- Lineman $25,609
- Mechanical engineer $37,630
- Nurse practitioner $57,277
- Occupational therapist $40,328
- Paralegal $12,666
- Paramedic $11,058
- Pharmacist $61,932
- Pharmacy technician −$1,659
- Physical therapist $38,555
- Physician assistant $44,010
- Plumber $8,382
- Police officer $10,284
- Radiologic technologist $23,745
- Respiratory therapist $33,395
- Social worker $7,881
- Speech-language pathologist $38,177
- Veterinarian $55,054
- Welder $1,805
Compare Atlanta with other cities
Compare Atlanta with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Atlanta
18 licensed interstate movers are based in Atlanta, and 149 more elsewhere in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Atlanta, GA a good place to live?
Atlanta is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 141 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $51,170 and keeps $2,963 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Atlanta?
Prices in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area are about the same as the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,713 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,479 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Atlanta?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $47,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area earns $51,170.
What is the average rent in Atlanta?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,645 for a studio, $1,713 for a 1-bedroom and $1,866 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Atlanta at $1,765 a month (2024).
Does Atlanta have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $51,170, Georgia state income tax comes to about $2,033 a year. Atlanta has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Atlanta?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Atlanta, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 60.2% of homes can get fiber and 93.7% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate