

Columbus vs Macon
$64/mo more in Macon
ColumbusMaconAbout 72 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Macon leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 221 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,083/mo in Macon. $2,019/mo in Columbus. +$768 a year.
Columbus
$2,019
left each month
Macon
$2,083
+$64 vs Columbus
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 25 households moved Columbus → Macon (avg AGI $43,920). 38 went the other way. The whole move →
+$64 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Columbus | Macon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,583 | $6,638 | +$55 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,543 | $1,562 | +$19 |
| Take-home pay | $5,040 | $5,076 | +$36 |
| Rent | $1,063 | $1,010 | −$53 |
| Getting around | $560 | $585 | +$25 |
| Groceries | $386 | $386 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $434 | $434 | $0 |
| Utilities | $241 | $241 | $0 |
| Everything else | $337 | $337 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,019 | $2,083 | +$64 |
Salary to match Columbus
$78,500
Gross pay in Macon that leaves the same amount as $79,000 in Columbus.
Tax difference
−$34
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.4% in Columbus, 23.5% in Macon.
More about Macon
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.
Macon, GA in full
A flat 5.19% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,202 and 221 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.
The other way
Start in Macon.
Macon → Columbus →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Macon than Columbus?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Macon leaves about $64 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,063 in Columbus and $1,010 in Macon.
Does Macon have state income tax?
Macon is in Georgia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Columbus to Macon?
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 Columbus and Macon 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.