

Atlanta vs Waterloo
$272/mo more in Waterloo
AtlantaWaterlooAbout 749 miles apart, a flight.
- Waterloo leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,754/mo in Waterloo. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. +$3,264 a year.
Atlanta
$2,482
left each month
Waterloo
$2,754
+$272 vs Atlanta
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$272 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Atlanta | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $6,861 | −$1,014 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,993 | $1,550 | −$443 |
| Take-home pay | $5,882 | $5,311 | −$571 |
| Rent | $1,399 | $788 | −$611 |
| Getting around | $580 | $510 | −$70 |
| Groceries | $392 | $347 | −$45 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $391 | −$50 |
| Utilities | $245 | $217 | −$28 |
| Everything else | $343 | $304 | −$39 |
| Left over | $2,482 | $2,754 | +$272 |
Salary to match Atlanta
$77,500
Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.
Tax difference
+$1,708
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Atlanta, 22.6% in Waterloo.
More about Waterloo
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
Waterloo, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $938 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
The other way
Start in Waterloo.
Waterloo → Atlanta →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than Atlanta?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Waterloo leaves about $272 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $788 in Waterloo.
Does Waterloo have state income tax?
Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Atlanta to Waterloo?
The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. 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 Waterloo 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.