

Atlanta vs New York
$1,248/mo less in New York
AtlantaNew YorkAbout 756 miles apart, a flight.
- New York costs you more
- Rent over 30% of pay
- 224 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,234/mo in New York. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. −$14,976 a year.
Atlanta
$2,482
left each month
New York
$1,234
−$1,248 vs Atlanta
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 3,407 households moved Atlanta → New York (avg AGI $82,877). 5,913 went the other way. The whole move →
−$1,248 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlanta | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $9,279 | +$1,404 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $2,881 | +$888 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $6,397 | +$515 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $3,018 | +$1,619 |
| Getting around | $580 | $347 | −$233 |
| Groceries | $392 | $496 | +$104 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $558 | +$117 |
| Utilities | $245 | $310 | +$65 |
| Everything else | $343 | $434 | +$91 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $1,234 | −$1,248 |
Salary to match Atlanta
$136,500
Gross pay in New York that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.
Tax difference
−$5,666
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Atlanta, 31.1% in New York.
More about New York
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
New York, NY in full
The one place where skipping a car genuinely offsets the rent.
The other way
Start in New York.
New York → Atlanta →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in New York than Atlanta?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, New York leaves about $1,248 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $3,018 in New York.
Does New York have state income tax?
New York is in New York, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.88%.
What changes if you move from Atlanta to New York?
The paycheck is taxed in New York. 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 New York 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.