Cost of Living in Atlanta, GA (2026)

Atlanta's cost of living is 0% above the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $99,942 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Atlanta has a cost-of-living index of 100 against a US average of 100 — about 0% above average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $99,942 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Atlanta

MeasureAtlantaUS average
Cost-of-living index100100
Median rent$1,617/mo-
Median home value$420,600-
Median household income$81,938-
Population499,287-

Monthly cost breakdown in Atlanta

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,617$2,443
Transport$1,120$1,120
Food$881$881
Healthcare$553$553
Other$1,968$1,968
Total$6,140$6,966

Affordability in Atlanta

Median rent takes about 23.7% of the median household income in Atlanta — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 5.1x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Atlanta

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$161,870$161,776
Software Developer$129,700$129,625
Data Scientist$104,640$104,579
Physical Therapist$99,910$99,852
Web Developer$94,330$94,275
Dental Hygienist$93,286$93,232
Registered Nurse$92,240$92,187
Financial Analyst$83,960$83,911

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Atlanta’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

Compare Atlanta with another city

What would your salary be worth in Atlanta?

What you earn (or want to compare)

Frequently asked questions

Atlanta has a cost-of-living index of 100 against a US average of 100, so it is about 0% above the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Atlanta has roughly the purchasing power of $99,942 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Atlanta's median rent of $1,617/month that implies about $64,680 a year before tax. The median household in Atlanta earns $81,938.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $6,140 a month in Atlanta across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $6,966 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Atlanta costs $420,600, which is 5.1x the median household income of $81,938. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Atlanta is expensive relative to local incomes.