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Cost of Living: New York vs Atlanta

How expensive is Atlanta compared with New York City? Overall prices, rent, goods, utilities and services in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area versus the New York metro area, plus the salary you’d need to live the same way.

Atlanta is 11% cheaper than New York
Cost of living index 89 (New York metro = 100) · 2024

Salary converter

Same lifestyle in Atlanta
$88,891
You’d need $11,109 less per year
≈ $100,123 in New York buys the same standard of living.

Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.

Where the difference comes from

Rent & housing
25% cheaper
Goods (groceries, clothing, etc.)
9% cheaper
Utilities
24% cheaper
Other services (healthcare, dining, transport…)
9% cheaper
New York metroAtlanta metro

Bars show each category’s price level relative to the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). Rent is usually the biggest driver.

The numbers

Metro area
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Price level vs US average
100.1 (New York: 112.6)
Rent vs US average
111.0 (New York: 148.6)
Source
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024

Frequently asked questions

Is Atlanta cheaper than New York?

Yes. Atlanta is 11% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 89, New York = 100).

What salary in Atlanta equals $100,000 in New York?

About $88,891 a year buys the same standard of living in Atlanta as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.

How do rents in Atlanta compare with New York?

Rents and housing costs in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area are 25% cheaper than the New York metro area (BEA, 2024).

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, which compare the price of the same basket of goods, rents, utilities and services across US metro areas.

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