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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Atlanta skyline
JJonahJackalope. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Columbia skyline
Akhenaton06. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License

Atlanta vs Columbia

$285/mo less in Columbia

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

AtlantaColumbiaAbout 194 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Columbia costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 223 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,197/mo in Columbia. $2,482/mo in Atlanta. −$3,420 a year.

Atlanta

$2,482

left each month

Columbia

$2,197

−$285 vs Atlanta

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Columbia wins 2 of 4Atlanta 2 · ties 0
$5,882Take-home · Atlanta$5,292
$1,399Rent · Columbia$1,157
$2,001Other bills · Columbia$1,938
$2,482Left over · Atlanta$2,197

Next

In 2022-2023, 312 households moved Atlanta → Columbia (avg AGI $65,365). 412 went the other way. The whole move →

−$285 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthAtlantaColumbia
Less leftMore left
Columbia · this breakdownAtlanta · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Atlanta, GA and Columbia, SC
Per monthAtlantaColumbiaDifference
Gross pay$7,875$6,955−$920
Income and payroll tax$1,993$1,663−$330
Take-home pay$5,882$5,292−$590
Rent$1,399$1,157−$242
Getting around$580$546−$34
Groceries$392$384−$8
Healthcare$441$432−$9
Utilities$245$240−$5
Everything else$343$336−$7
Left over$2,482$2,197−$285

Salary to match Atlanta

$89,000

Gross pay in Columbia that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Atlanta.

Tax difference

+$690

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.3% in Atlanta, 23.9% in Columbia.

More about Columbia

Atlanta, GA in full

Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.

Columbia, SC in full

State income tax topping out at 6.2%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,377 and 223 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.

The other way

Start in Columbia.

Columbia → Atlanta →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Columbia than Atlanta?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Columbia leaves about $285 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,399 in Atlanta and $1,157 in Columbia.

Does Columbia have state income tax?

Columbia is in South Carolina, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Atlanta to Columbia?

The paycheck is taxed in South Carolina. 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 Columbia 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.