City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 8.2% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $108,200 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,567 a year in GA and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.1% moving from Atlanta, GA to Boston, MA ($112,556 → $120,548), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,203 in Boston | $92,419 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$213/yr.
23 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$213/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Boston, MA | Real change, Atlanta → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,905 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,579 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $101,375 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,548 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $142,452 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $98,060 | $90,626 (+18.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $166,090 | $153,498 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $100,150 | $92,557 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $106,180 | $98,130 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.