Detroit, MI → Atlanta, GA
Moving to Atlanta costs you $2 a month
−$24 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
| Per month | Detroit | Atlanta | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,625 | $7,858 | +$233 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,049 | $1,987 | −$62 |
| Take-home pay | $5,576 | $5,871 | +$295 |
| Rent | $1,194 | $1,399 | +$205 |
| Getting around | $560 | $580 | +$20 |
| Groceries | $372 | $392 | +$20 |
| Healthcare | $419 | $441 | +$22 |
| Utilities | $233 | $245 | +$12 |
| Everything else | $326 | $343 | +$17 |
| Left over | $2,473 | $2,471 | −$2 |
To break even in Atlanta, you'd need to earn
$94,500
Household gross, versus $91,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Detroit does now.
The tax difference alone
+$1,575
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.9% in Detroit, 25.3% in Atlanta.
Detroit, MI in full
Engineering wages against some of the cheapest urban housing in America.
Atlanta, GA in full
Big-city pay at mid-market housing costs, with a 31-minute average commute.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Atlanta on Atlanta wages.
Atlanta → Detroit →Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.