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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Atlanta breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Atlanta delivers a median household income of $81,938 — and that's before you even look at taxes — (2% above the national median) while keeping costs 4 points below national average. That's a…
Atlanta breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Atlanta delivers a median household income of $81,938 — and that's before you even look at taxes — (2% above the national median) while keeping costs 4 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 36 of the 288 cities we track.
In plain English: the #1 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.
Bottom line: Atlanta 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.
#1 Ranked: Atlanta — cost index 108, rent $1,888/mo, income $81,938
Atlanta: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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
510,823 residents · Georgia
The #1 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.
128,628 residents · Georgia
Dive into Athens's numbers: cost index 103 — we had to double-check this one — (9 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 — Utilities is the cheapest category at 94, while Housing runs 107. With 128,628 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
147,748 residents · Georgia
Dive into Savannah's numbers: cost index 102 (10 points below national average), rent $1,736/month, income $56,782, and a home price of $322,470. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 94, while Healthcare runs 106. With 147,748 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
200,884 residents · Georgia
Why Augusta ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 89 on the cost index, residents save roughly 23% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,321/month while the median household pulls in $53,134/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 73, though Healthcare (92) lags behind. Home prices average $173,222 — $294,148 below the national median.
156,512 residents · Georgia
A closer look at Macon: the cost index of 87 breaks down to a Housing index of 67 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 90 (weakest). That alone makes it worth considering. 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.
Atlanta ranks #1 in Georgia for this analysis with a cost index of 108 and median income of $81,938.
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.
Atlanta (ranked #1) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $1,888/mo, while Macon (ranked #5) has a cost index of 87 and rent of $1,207/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 Atlanta is $1,888/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $7 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Atlanta is $381,549, which is 4.7× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.