City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $112,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $293 a year higher in New York, NY than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to New York, NY ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,498 in New York | $88,891 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,655/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% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$293/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$293/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | New York, NY | Real change, Atlanta → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | New York, NY | New York pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $96,900 | $86,135 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $166,830 | $148,296 (+11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $105,650 | $93,913 (+9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $119,720 | $106,420 (+5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.