

Atlanta vs Tuscaloosa
$464/mo less in Tuscaloosa
AtlantaTuscaloosaAbout 201 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Tuscaloosa costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 223 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,018/mo in Tuscaloosa. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. −$5,568 a year.
Atlanta
$2,482
left each month
Tuscaloosa
$2,018
−$464 vs Atlanta
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 72 households moved Atlanta → Tuscaloosa (avg AGI $50,056). 136 went the other way. The whole move →
−$464 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlanta | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $6,511 | −$1,364 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $1,606 | −$387 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $4,904 | −$978 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $930 | −$469 |
| Getting around | $580 | $591 | +$11 |
| Groceries | $392 | $376 | −$16 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $423 | −$18 |
| Utilities | $245 | $235 | −$10 |
| Everything else | $343 | $329 | −$14 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $2,018 | −$464 |
Salary to match Atlanta
$87,000
Gross pay in Tuscaloosa that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.
Tax difference
−$216
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Atlanta, 24.7% in Tuscaloosa.
More about Tuscaloosa
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
Tuscaloosa, AL in full
State income tax topping out at 5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,107 and 223 sunny days; commutes average 24 minutes.
The other way
Start in Tuscaloosa.
Tuscaloosa → Atlanta →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Tuscaloosa than Atlanta?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Tuscaloosa leaves about $464 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $930 in Tuscaloosa.
Does Tuscaloosa have state income tax?
Tuscaloosa is in Alabama, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 1.00%.
What changes if you move from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa?
The paycheck is taxed in Alabama. 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 Tuscaloosa 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.