City profile
Atlanta, GA cost of living
GA · BEA RPP 100.058
2024 overall RPP
100.058
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
111.022
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
100.416
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,762/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Atlanta, GA sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#33 of 67
+0.1 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+0.6
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#29 of 67
+73/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 12060). HUD: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO12060M12060); counties or county equivalents: Barrow County, Bartow County, Carroll County, Cherokee County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Coweta County, Dawson County, DeKalb County, Douglas County, Fayette County, Forsyth County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Heard County, Henry County, Jasper County, Newton County, Paulding County, Pickens County, Pike County, Rockdale County, Spalding County, Walton County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Atlanta, GA
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Atlanta, GA metro.
Moved in
101,551
people · 61,268 households
Moved out
96,300
people · 59,105 households
Net
+5,251
net gain of residents
Net migration rank
#15 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
+4,880
median +371 people
Largest flow share
4% in / 7% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Hall County, GA 4,074
- Broward County, FL 3,586
- Los Angeles County, CA 3,136
- Miami-Dade County, FL 3,084
- Cook County, IL 2,568
Where residents moved to
- Hall County, GA 6,638
- Jackson County, GA 3,943
- Harris County, TX 2,081
- Los Angeles County, CA 1,946
- Clarke County, GA 1,926
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Atlanta, GA?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Atlanta, GA | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $50,029 | $50,000 x (100.058/100) |
| $75,000 | $75,044 | $75,000 x (100.058/100) |
| $100,000 | $100,058 | $100,000 x (100.058/100) |
| $125,000 | $125,073 | $125,000 x (100.058/100) |
| $150,000 | $150,087 | $150,000 x (100.058/100) |
| $200,000 | $200,116 | $200,000 x (100.058/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Atlanta, GA?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Atlanta, GA has an overall Regional Price Parity of 100.058 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 0.1% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Atlanta, GA?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $100,058 in Atlanta, GA, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Atlanta, GA?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Atlanta, GA is $1,762 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Atlanta, GA?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 101,551 people moved into the Atlanta, GA metro and 96,300 moved out — a net gain of roughly 5,251 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Hall County, GA.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Atlanta, GA, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Atlanta, GA's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log