

Auburn vs Columbus
$318/mo more in Columbus
AuburnColumbusAbout 40 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Columbus leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 222 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,017/mo in Columbus. $1,699/mo in Auburn. +$3,816 a year.
Auburn
$1,699
left each month
Columbus
$2,017
+$318 vs Auburn
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 889 households moved Auburn → Columbus (avg AGI $46,702). 981 went the other way. The whole move →
+$318 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Auburn | Columbus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,417 | $6,580 | +$164 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,573 | $1,542 | −$31 |
| Take-home pay | $4,844 | $5,038 | +$195 |
| Rent | $1,224 | $1,063 | −$161 |
| Getting around | $557 | $560 | +$3 |
| Groceries | $376 | $386 | +$10 |
| Healthcare | $423 | $434 | +$11 |
| Utilities | $235 | $241 | +$6 |
| Everything else | $329 | $337 | +$8 |
| Left over | $1,699 | $2,017 | +$318 |
Salary to match Auburn
$73,000
Gross pay in Columbus that leaves the same amount as $77,000 in Auburn.
Tax difference
+$955
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.5% in Auburn, 23.4% in Columbus.
More about Columbus
Auburn, AL in full
State income tax topping out at 5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,457 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
Columbus, GA in full
A flat 5.19% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,265 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
The other way
Start in Columbus.
Columbus → Auburn →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Columbus than Auburn?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Columbus leaves about $318 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,224 in Auburn and $1,063 in Columbus.
Does Columbus have state income tax?
Columbus is in Georgia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Auburn to Columbus?
The paycheck is taxed in Georgia. 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 Auburn and Columbus 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.