City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 12.2% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $112,200 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $613 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Tulsa, OK ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,162 in Tulsa | $112,155 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$613/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$613/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Atlanta → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $48,220 | $54,081 (−29.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $108,730 | $121,946 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $81,320 | $91,204 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $84,790 | $95,096 (−5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.