Slower Sundays
Find my cities

Cost of living in Atlanta, GA

Compared with New York. Change city

$1,797a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $21,564 a year, enough to cover 9 months of the mortgage in Atlanta. The average commute is 4 minutes shorter each way, about 0.7 hours a week back4.

Typical home $415,000 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,781 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Atlanta skyline from Piedmont Park, AtlantaTerry Granger / Unsplash
All cities
  • Big-city lifeNFL, NBA, MLB, MLS teams; Delta hub

Atlanta at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
Atlanta$2,281/mo
$415,000 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
Atlanta$1,781/mo
About $216 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in Atlanta

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs611% pricier than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$133,336
  • Net move-ins from other US metros, 2024-257+3,019
Atlanta in a paragraph

The median listed home in Atlanta is $415,000 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 1% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,281 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,781 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 100.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $133,336 here.

Weather

9
  • 35.6°January low
  • 90.1°July high
  • 2.2 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
Atlanta$415,000
44% less, a $327,000 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
Atlanta$194
2.5 times the space for the money

Your New York, in Atlanta

The places you use now, matched to their closest counterpart.

  • Big city park
    In New YorkCentral Park
    In AtlantaPiedmont Park189 acres, about 1 mile northeast of Downtown, between Midtown and Virginia-Highland
  • Walking and biking trail
    In New YorkThe High Line
    In AtlantaAtlanta Beltline22-mile loop built on four historic freight rail lines; 16.7 continuous mainline trail miles open plus the 1.6-mile Westside Beltline Connector (as of June 12, 2026)
  • Art museum
    In New YorkThe Met
    In AtlantaHigh Museum of ArtCollection of more than 20,000 works of art
  • Natural history museum
    In New YorkAmerican Museum of Natural History
    In AtlantaFernbank Museum of Natural HistoryOpened to the public October 5, 1992; permanent exhibition Giants of the Mesozoic
Show 6 more matches
  • Broadway and the symphony
    In New YorkBroadway and Lincoln Center
    In AtlantaFox Theatre4,665-seat auditorium at 660 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown; hosts national touring companies of Broadway shows
  • Food hall
    In New YorkChelsea Market
    In AtlantaPonce City Market2.1-million-square-foot former Sears, Roebuck and Co. building, used by Sears from 1926 to 1987; opened as Ponce City Market August 25, 2014
  • Office and career hub
    In New YorkMidtown and the Financial District
    In AtlantaMidtown Atlanta770-acre district; more than 30,000 jobs announced for Midtown through expansions or relocations since 2015 (2025 report)
  • Neighborhood main street
    In New YorkA Brooklyn neighborhood main street
    In AtlantaVirginia-Highland (North Highland Avenue)Main retail and dining node at North Highland and Virginia Avenues; the corner shops on the northwest corner were developed in 1925
  • Big-league stadium
    In New YorkMetLife Stadium
    In AtlantaMercedes-Benz StadiumDowntown stadium with a retractable roof; opened August 26, 2017
  • Nature day trip
    In New YorkThe Hudson Valley
    In AtlantaChattahoochee River National Recreation AreaProtects 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River from Buford Dam on Lake Lanier to Peachtree Creek in Atlanta city limits

See how Atlanta ranks for your household

Answer a few quick questions and see how Atlanta ranks against 53 other cities for your household.

See how Atlanta ranks for you

Is Atlanta a good place to live?

Atlanta fits families who want mild winters and nonstop flights to New York. The main trade-off is hot summers. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Mild wintersJanuary lows average 35.6°F with 2.2 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • Nonstop flights to New YorkFrom ATL to JFK, LGA, EWR.Airport route page, accessed October 14, 2026
  • People are moving in3,019 more people moved here from other US metros than left, July 2024 to July 2025.US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025

What you trade

  • Hot summersJuly highs average 90.1°F.NOAA 1991-2020 normals

Is Atlanta a good place to live? Read the full pros and cons

More on Atlanta and Georgia

Show 3 links

Atlanta cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in Atlanta, GA?

The median listed home in Atlanta is $415,000 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 1% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,281 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,781 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 100.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $133,336 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to Atlanta?

The median listed home is $415,000 in Atlanta against $742,000 in the New York metro, 44% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $1,797 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in Atlanta?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the Atlanta metro is $1,781 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $216 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in Atlanta matches $150,000 in New York?

$133,336. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (100.1 in Atlanta, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does Atlanta pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover Atlanta as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in Atlanta?

January lows average 35.6°F and July highs 90.1°F, with 2.2 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Net move-ins: Census Vintage 2025, via Regions Financial.
  8. 8Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  9. 9Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Sources for this page