

Atlanta vs Memphis
$295/mo more in Memphis
AtlantaMemphisAbout 322 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Memphis leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,777/mo in Memphis. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. +$3,540 a year.
Atlanta
$2,482
left each month
Memphis
$2,777
+$295 vs Atlanta
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 300 households moved Atlanta → Memphis (avg AGI $74,863). 502 went the other way. The whole move →
+$295 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlanta | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $7,095 | −$780 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $1,405 | −$588 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $5,690 | −$192 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $1,045 | −$354 |
| Getting around | $580 | $548 | −$32 |
| Groceries | $392 | $364 | −$28 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $410 | −$31 |
| Utilities | $245 | $228 | −$17 |
| Everything else | $343 | $319 | −$24 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $2,777 | +$295 |
Salary to match Atlanta
$80,000
Gross pay in Memphis that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.
Tax difference
+$4,282
A year, in state and local income tax. Tennessee has no wage income tax.
More about Memphis
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
Memphis, TN in full
No income tax and a logistics economy; wages trail the national median.
The other way
Start in Memphis.
Memphis → Atlanta →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Memphis than Atlanta?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Memphis leaves about $295 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $1,045 in Memphis.
Does Memphis have state income tax?
Memphis is in Tennessee, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Atlanta to Memphis?
The paycheck is taxed in Tennessee. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Atlanta and Memphis changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.