City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $115,500 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to San Francisco, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,546 in San Francisco | $86,546 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Atlanta → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $101,860 | $88,155 (+15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $186,640 | $161,529 (+21.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $110,730 | $95,832 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $186,610 | $161,503 (+60.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.