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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The remote work era changed the math: earn a tech salary, live in an affordable market. And as far as the data shows, we analyzed 5 cities across Georgia for that equation. Augusta — cost index 77, utilities 93, rent $1,321/mo — leads.
#1 Ranked: Augusta — cost index 77, rent $1,321/mo, income $53,134
Remote-worker scoring: cost index 77, utilities index 93, income $53,134 — maximizing geographic arbitrage
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The remote work era changed the math: earn a tech salary, live in an affordable market. And as far as the data shows, we analyzed 5 cities across Georgia for that equation. Augusta — cost index 77, utilities 93, rent $1,321/mo — leads.
Augusta earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 77 cost index sits 34 points below the national baseline, and the $53,134 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $173,222 — $294,148 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 77, while Healthcare trails at 95.
Bottom line: Augusta leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
200,884 residents · Georgia
What does daily life actually cost in Augusta? Start with the 30% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 77) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $53,134 — for better or worse — and homes at $173,222 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
156,512 residents · Georgia
In plain English: Dive into Macon's numbers: cost index 70 (41 points below national average), rent $1,207/month, income $50,747, and a home price of $167,317. And most of the time, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 70, while Healthcare runs 94. With 156,512 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
510,823 residents · Georgia
Atlanta earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 110 cost index sits 1 points below the national baseline, and the $81,938 — this is the part where it gets real — median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $381,549 — $85,821 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 102, while Housing trails at 110.
147,748 residents · Georgia
What does daily life actually cost in Savannah? Start with the 37% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. On the category level, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 101) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $56,782 and homes at $322,470 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
128,628 residents · Georgia
Dive into Athens's numbers: cost index 100 (11 points below national average), rent $1,720/month, income $51,655, and a home price of $332,919. And as far as the data shows, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Healthcare runs 100. With 128,628 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Augusta ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 77 and median income of $53,134.
Augusta scores highest for remote workers due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,321/mo, and competitive median income of $53,134.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Augusta (ranked #1) has a cost index of 77 and rent of $1,321/mo, while Athens (ranked #5) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,720/mo — a 23-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Augusta is $1,321/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $574 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Augusta is $173,222, which is 3.3× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Georgia has a 5.49% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.38%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.83%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.