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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 5 of 5 cities in Georgia beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Macon stands out at 70 on the index, with rent of $1,207/month and household income of $50,747. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
#1 Ranked: Macon — cost index 70, rent $1,207/mo, income $50,747
Macon is a clear outlier at index 70
5 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 5 of 5 cities in Georgia beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Macon stands out at 70 on the index, with rent of $1,207/month and household income of $50,747. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
A closer look at Macon: the cost index of 70 breaks down to a Housing index of 70 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). Median rent is $1,207/month — 36% below the national median — while household income sits at $50,747, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 97 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about 3% below the national median. Macon leads at 90, followed by Augusta (92) and Savannah (100). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
People move for jobs, weather, and family. But they stay for this: Macon is a clear outlier at index 70. #1-ranked Macon has a cost index 22 points lower than the top-5 average of 92. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own. That's not something you see often in the data.
Perhaps more importantly, State context matters: Georgia's 6 cities average a 93 cost index with $1,312/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — median rent and $62,676 household income. Atlanta's metro pull alongside rural affordability. The next section breaks down exactly why.
Bottom line: Macon 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
156,512 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Macon: the cost index of 70 breaks down to a Housing index of 70 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 94 (weakest). Median rent is $1,207/month — 36% below the national median — while household income sits at $50,747, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
200,884 residents · Georgia
Dive into Augusta's numbers: cost index 77 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (34 points below national average), rent $1,321/month, income $53,134, and a home price of $173,222. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 77, while Healthcare runs 95. With 200,884 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
147,748 residents · Georgia
The #3 spot goes to Savannah, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,736/month — saving renters $1,908 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 101. The 37% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
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. 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.
510,823 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Atlanta: the cost index of 110 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 110 (weakest). Median rent is $1,888/month — 0% above the national median — while household income sits at $81,938, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index within Georgia. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Macon ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 70 and median income of $50,747.
Macon, GA has the lowest food & groceries index at 90, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
Macon (ranked #1) has a cost index of 70 and rent of $1,207/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #5) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 40-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 Macon is $1,207/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $688 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Macon is $167,317, 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.