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Atlanta vs Boston: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 8% lower than in Boston, and housing runs 34% lower. Boston pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $66,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Boston ($61,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Atlanta runs 8% lower than Boston overall, and housing runs 25% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Boston, you need about $92,500 in Atlanta. To keep $100,000 from Atlanta, you need about $108,000 in Boston.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,000 in Atlanta, $66,500 in Boston.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $134,500 in Atlanta, $159,000 in Boston.
- Open postings in our data: 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers, 5,962 in Boston from 677 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.4% in Atlanta, 4.1% in Boston (BLS).
Atlanta and Boston side by side
| Measure | Atlanta | Boston | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 108.3 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 111 | 148.4 | Atlanta |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,000 | $66,500 | Boston |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $51,000 | $61,500 | Boston |
| Median pay in open postings | $134,500 | $159,000 | Boston |
| Postings that list pay | 25.9% | 59.8% | Boston |
| Open postings in our data | 3,771 | 5,962 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 623 | 677 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.4% | 4.1% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 25.9% | 26.5% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 28 | Boston |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.2% | 12.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.5% | 7.8% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +12.7% | -16% | Atlanta |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Atlanta prices sit 100.1 against a US average of 100 and Boston at 108.3. The biggest difference is housing: 111 in Atlanta against 148.4 in Boston. Utilities are 35% lower in Atlanta. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Atlanta | Boston | Atlanta vs Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.1 | 108.3 | 8% lower |
| Housing | 111 | 148.4 | 25% lower |
| Goods | 100.4 | 99.7 | 1% higher |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 148.8 | 35% lower |
| Other services | 96.7 | 103.6 | 7% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Boston to Atlanta; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Boston | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved | Salary in Atlanta | Matching salary in Boston | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,000 | $37,500 | $50,000 | $54,000 | $67,000 |
| $75,000 | $69,500 | $56,000 | $75,000 | $81,000 | $100,500 |
| $100,000 | $92,500 | $75,000 | $100,000 | $108,000 | $133,500 |
| $125,000 | $115,500 | $93,500 | $125,000 | $135,500 | $167,000 |
| $150,000 | $138,500 | $112,000 | $150,000 | $162,500 | $200,500 |
| $200,000 | $185,000 | $149,500 | $200,000 | $216,500 | $267,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $44.43 an hour in Atlanta for someone earning $100,000 in Boston.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Atlanta for 1 and higher in Boston for 56. After local prices are counted, Atlanta comes out ahead in 8 and Boston in 49. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $18,500 in Atlanta against $39,300 in Boston.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Atlanta median | Boston median | Atlanta adjusted for prices | Boston adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,900 | $36,900 | $32,800 | $34,000 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,800 | $36,300 | $27,800 | $33,500 |
| General and Operations Managers | $111,400 | $133,800 | $111,300 | $123,600 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $106,200 | $100,400 | $98,100 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,000 | $45,600 | $39,000 | $42,100 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,900 | $40,900 | $29,900 | $37,800 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,700 | $49,900 | $42,700 | $46,100 |
| Cashiers | $30,000 | $36,000 | $30,000 | $33,300 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $18,500 | $39,300 | $18,400 | $36,300 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,200 | $37,700 | $36,100 | $34,800 |
| Software Developers | $133,000 | $166,100 | $132,900 | $153,400 |
| Office Clerks, General | $43,300 | $50,700 | $43,300 | $46,800 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,900 | $46,600 | $35,900 | $43,000 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,800 | $100,200 | $85,800 | $92,500 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,100 | $64,000 | $59,100 | $59,100 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Atlanta for 1 of 11 and higher in Boston for 10. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Atlanta median listed pay | Postings | Boston median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $125,000 | 143 | $142,500 | 265 |
| Software developers | $173,500 | 38 | $190,000 | 276 |
| Marketing | $142,500 | 46 | $145,000 | 126 |
| Operations and logistics | $104,000 | 35 | $130,500 | 114 |
| Product and design | $140,000 | 29 | $185,000 | 92 |
| Software engineering | $167,500 | 17 | $184,000 | 96 |
| Security and IT | $180,000 | 17 | $166,000 | 87 |
| Finance and accounting | $113,000 | 35 | $156,000 | 62 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $97,500 | 42 | $141,000 | 38 |
| Legal and compliance | $145,000 | 21 | $187,000 | 47 |
| Data and analytics | $135,000 | 19 | $165,000 | 31 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Atlanta's postings lean toward software & technology (17.4%), while Boston's lean toward healthcare & life sciences (40.8%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Atlanta: RaceTrac (190), Floor & Decor (97), CenterWell (73), DoorDash USA (61), Invesco (61).
- Largest posters in Boston: Mass General Brigham (1,278), State Street (234), Anduril Industries (198), Whoop (167), Formlabs (136).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Atlanta and 28 in Boston; 25.9% and 26.5% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.2% of postings in Atlanta and 12.6% in Boston; senior and above are 41.4% and 45.8%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.5% of postings in Atlanta and 7.8% in Boston.
- Indeed's postings index sits 12.7% above its February 2020 level in Atlanta and 16% below in Boston.
- 25.9% of postings in Atlanta list pay, against 59.8% in Boston.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Atlanta) stretches it further: $100,000 in Boston has the buying power of about $92,500 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Boston comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($61,500 against $51,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $173,500 in Atlanta and $190,000 in Boston, which is $173,000 and $175,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (111 vs 148.4) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Atlanta or Boston?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 8% lower than in Boston, and housing runs 34% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Atlanta to match $100,000 in Boston?
About $92,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (100.1 in Atlanta, 108.3 in Boston). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Atlanta or Boston?
Boston has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $66,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Boston has the higher paycheck power: $61,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Boston has more: 5,962 against 3,771. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology