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Atlanta vs Phoenix: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 3% lower than in Phoenix, and housing runs 9% lower. Phoenix pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $51,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Atlanta ($51,000 against $49,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Atlanta runs 3% lower than Phoenix overall, and housing runs 8% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Phoenix, you need about $97,000 in Atlanta. To keep $100,000 from Atlanta, you need about $103,500 in Phoenix.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,000 in Atlanta, $51,500 in Phoenix.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $134,500 in Atlanta, $117,500 in Phoenix.
- Open postings in our data: 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers, 2,893 in Phoenix from 443 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.4% in Atlanta, 4.9% in Phoenix (BLS).
Atlanta and Phoenix side by side
| Measure | Atlanta | Phoenix | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 103.3 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 111 | 121.2 | Atlanta |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,000 | $51,500 | About the same |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $51,000 | $49,500 | Atlanta |
| Median pay in open postings | $134,500 | $117,500 | Atlanta |
| Postings that list pay | 25.9% | 20.5% | Atlanta |
| Open postings in our data | 3,771 | 2,893 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 623 | 443 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.4% | 4.9% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 25.9% | 32.6% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 30 | About the same |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.2% | 11.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.5% | 3% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +12.7% | +12.8% | About the same |
"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 Phoenix at 103.3. The biggest difference is housing: 111 in Atlanta against 121.2 in Phoenix. Utilities are 3% higher 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 | Phoenix | Atlanta vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.1 | 103.3 | 3% lower |
| Housing | 111 | 121.2 | 8% lower |
| Goods | 100.4 | 95 | 6% higher |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 93.3 | 3% higher |
| Other services | 96.7 | 104 | 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved | Salary in Atlanta | Matching salary in Phoenix | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,500 | $46,000 | $50,000 | $51,500 | $54,500 |
| $75,000 | $72,500 | $68,500 | $75,000 | $77,500 | $82,000 |
| $100,000 | $97,000 | $91,500 | $100,000 | $103,500 | $109,000 |
| $125,000 | $121,000 | $114,500 | $125,000 | $129,000 | $136,500 |
| $150,000 | $145,500 | $137,500 | $150,000 | $155,000 | $164,000 |
| $200,000 | $193,500 | $183,000 | $200,000 | $206,500 | $218,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $46.56 an hour in Atlanta for someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix.
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 21 and higher in Phoenix for 36. After local prices are counted, Atlanta comes out ahead in 29 and Phoenix in 28. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $18,500 in Atlanta against $47,500 in Phoenix.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Atlanta median | Phoenix median | Atlanta adjusted for prices | Phoenix adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,900 | $36,000 | $32,800 | $34,800 |
| General and Operations Managers | $111,400 | $98,600 | $111,300 | $95,400 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,800 | $34,500 | $27,800 | $33,400 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,000 | $45,000 | $39,000 | $43,500 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,700 | $46,400 | $42,700 | $44,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $100,800 | $100,400 | $97,600 |
| Cashiers | $30,000 | $34,900 | $30,000 | $33,800 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,200 | $37,700 | $36,100 | $36,500 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,900 | $36,900 | $29,900 | $35,700 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $18,500 | $47,500 | $18,400 | $46,000 |
| Office Clerks, General | $43,300 | $47,700 | $43,300 | $46,100 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,100 | $59,800 | $59,100 | $57,900 |
| Software Developers | $133,000 | $131,800 | $132,900 | $127,500 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,900 | $36,300 | $35,900 | $35,100 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $79,000 | $74,900 | $78,900 | $72,500 |
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 2 of 5 and higher in Phoenix for 3. 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 | Phoenix median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $125,000 | 143 | $111,000 | 57 |
| Operations and logistics | $104,000 | 35 | $107,500 | 36 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $97,500 | 42 | $123,500 | 19 |
| Product and design | $140,000 | 29 | $109,000 | 18 |
| Legal and compliance | $145,000 | 21 | $152,500 | 17 |
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
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. 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 Phoenix: Carvana (155), Axon (96), Lucid Motors (86), Intel (81), Marketechinternationalcorporationusa (77).
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 30 in Phoenix; 25.9% and 32.6% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.2% of postings in Atlanta and 11.6% in Phoenix; senior and above are 41.4% and 34%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.5% of postings in Atlanta and 3% in Phoenix.
- Indeed's postings index sits 12.7% above its February 2020 level in Atlanta and 12.8% above in Phoenix.
- 25.9% of postings in Atlanta list pay, against 20.5% in Phoenix.
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 Phoenix has the buying power of about $97,000 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Atlanta comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($51,000 against $49,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (111 vs 121.2) 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 Phoenix?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 3% lower than in Phoenix, and housing runs 9% 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 Phoenix?
About $97,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (100.1 in Atlanta, 103.3 in Phoenix). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Atlanta or Phoenix?
Phoenix has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $51,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Atlanta has the higher paycheck power: $51,000 against $49,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Atlanta has more: 3,771 against 2,893. 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