Moving from Rochester to Atlanta
Moving to Atlanta costs you $510 a month
−$6,120 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Rochester leftover
$2,983
a month after tax and rent
Atlanta leftover
$2,473
−$510 vs Rochester
| Per month | Rochester | Atlanta | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,250 | $7,861 | −$389 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,186 | $1,988 | −$198 |
| Take-home pay | $6,064 | $5,873 | −$191 |
| Rent | $1,344 | $1,399 | +$55 |
| Getting around | $461 | $580 | +$119 |
| Groceries | $352 | $392 | +$40 |
| Healthcare | $396 | $441 | +$45 |
| Utilities | $220 | $245 | +$25 |
| Everything else | $308 | $343 | +$35 |
| Left over | $2,983 | $2,473 | −$510 |
To break even in Atlanta, you'd need to earn
$103,500
Household gross, versus $99,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Rochester does now.
The tax difference alone
+$996
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.5% in Rochester, 25.3% in Atlanta.
More about Atlanta
Rochester, MN in full
State income tax topping out at 9.85%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,600 and 195 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
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 → Rochester →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Atlanta than Rochester?
A one-bedroom is about $1,344 in Rochester versus $1,399 in Atlanta. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $510 a month lower in Atlanta. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Atlanta have state income tax?
Atlanta is in Georgia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Rochester to Atlanta?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Georgia tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
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.