Loading
Assembling your view…
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 112. It lines up with what you'd expect. Macon stands out at 87 on the index, with rent of $1,207/month — we had to double-check this one — and household income of $50,747. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zill…
#1 Ranked: Macon — cost index 87, rent $1,207/mo, income $50,747
5 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
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 112. It lines up with what you'd expect. Macon stands out at 87 on the index, with rent of $1,207/month — we had to double-check this one — and household income of $50,747. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Dive into Macon's numbers: cost index 87 — though some people might weigh that differently — (25 points below national average), rent $1,207/month, income $50,747, and a home price of $167,317. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 67, while Healthcare runs 90. With 156,512 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (more on that below).
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. And depending on your situation, a score of 93 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about 7% below the national median. Macon leads at 83, followed by Augusta (85) and Savannah (97). Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
What makes this tricky: Georgia — Atlanta's metro pull alongside rural affordability. The 6 cities we track here average a cost index of 98 and median income of $62,676. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. Nothing too surprising there. The typical rent runs $1,312/month, which is $583 less than the national median.
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.
156,512 residents · Georgia
Here's Macon by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And roughly speaking, cost index: 87. Rent: $1,207/month. Income: $50,747/year. Home price: $167,317. Population: 156,512. The strongest category is Housing at 67; the most expensive is Healthcare at 90. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,256 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
200,884 residents · Georgia
Dive into Augusta's numbers: cost index 89 (23 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 73, while Healthcare runs 92. With 200,884 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs. Not even close to the national average.
147,748 residents · Georgia
Savannah earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And with some exceptions, the 102 cost index sits 10 points below the national baseline, and the $56,782 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $322,470 — $144,900 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 94, while Healthcare trails at 106.
128,628 residents · Georgia
Why Athens ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 103 on the cost index, residents save roughly 9% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,720/month while the median household pulls in $51,655/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 94, though Housing (107) lags behind. Home prices average $332,919 — $134,451 below the national median (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
510,823 residents · Georgia
The #5 spot goes to Atlanta, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,888/month — saving renters $84 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 119. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
Cities are ranked by their transportation 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 87 and median income of $50,747.
Macon, GA has the lowest transportation index at 83, 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 87 and rent of $1,207/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #5) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 21-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.