City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 4.4% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,400 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Atlanta, GA to Buffalo, NY ($112,556 → $111,301), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,788 in Buffalo | $104,397 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
82 Strong offer
Buffalo, NY → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
53 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Atlanta → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,543 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $78,091 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,598 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,301 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,525 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $116,290 | $121,403 (−7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $127,850 | $133,471 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $82,120 | $85,731 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $99,060 | $103,415 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.