City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 1.9% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $101,900 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,033 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Provo, UT ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,175 in Provo | $101,859 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,033/yr.
75 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,033/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Provo, UT | Real change, Atlanta → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $62,930 | $64,100 (−16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $131,210 | $133,649 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $75,700 | $77,107 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $81,780 | $83,300 (−17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.