Is Atlanta expensive?

Yes — 0.1% above the US average, rank 53 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 111.0.

What salary do you need to live in Atlanta, GA?

$100,058 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $85,880, worth $85,830 after adjusting for the 100.1 price level.

Why is the cost of living high in Atlanta?

Housing at 111.0 versus utilities at 96.2. A 14.8-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.

Fulton County · Georgia

Atlanta cost of living (GA)

Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.

Cash, receipts and a calculator on a table, illustrating local cost of living data

Quick answer

Atlanta costs in line with the national average — all-items price level 100.1, rank 53 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,058 here. Housing is the reason, at 111.0.

All items: 100.1US average = 100
Housing: 111.011.0% above the national average
Goods: 100.4in line with the national average
Other services: 96.73.3% below the national average

Price level by component

Where the difference actually comes from.

Component	Index	vs US	What it covers
Goods	100.4	+0.4%	Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases.
Housing	111.0	+11.0%	Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor.
Utilities	96.2	-3.8%	Electricity, gas, water and other household energy.
Other services	96.7	-3.3%	Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services.

Reading the Atlanta price level

What the 100.1 figure actually means for a household here.

Atlanta prices sit 0.1% above the US average — an all-items parity of 100.1, rank 53 of 94 covered metros. Effectively the national average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.

Housing drives it: 111.0, 11.0% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 96.2. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 14.8 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Atlanta do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.

A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,058 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $85,880 median household income in Atlanta is worth $85,830 in national-average dollars, 9.3% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.

Parities are published for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.

What your salary is worth in Atlanta, GA

Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.1 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.

Annual salary (USD)

Real value here: $85,830
Needed to match US average: $85,930
Monthly difference: $4

What a local paycheck is really worth

Nominal pay is only half the story.

$85,880 median household income in Atlanta is worth $85,830 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 100.1.

Run your own salary through the comparison tool →

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

Is Atlanta expensive?: Yes — 0.1% above the US average, rank 53 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 111.0.
What salary do you need to live in Atlanta, GA?: $100,058 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $85,880, worth $85,830 after adjusting for the 100.1 price level.
Why is the cost of living high in Atlanta?: Housing at 111.0 versus utilities at 96.2. A 14.8-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.

Other Atlanta datasets on this site.

Statewide: Georgia cities · Georgia ZIP codes · Georgia sales tax · Georgia counties

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities

2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.