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Atlanta vs San Francisco: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 16% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 75% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in San Francisco ($64,000 against $51,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Atlanta runs 13% lower than San Francisco overall, and housing runs 43% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in San Francisco, you need about $86,500 in Atlanta. To keep $100,000 from Atlanta, you need about $115,500 in San Francisco.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,000 in Atlanta, $74,500 in San Francisco.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $134,500 in Atlanta, $205,000 in San Francisco.
- Open postings in our data: 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers, 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.4% in Atlanta, 4.6% in San Francisco (BLS).
Atlanta and San Francisco side by side
| Measure | Atlanta | San Francisco | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 115.6 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 111 | 194.7 | Atlanta |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,000 | $74,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $51,000 | $64,000 | San Francisco |
| Median pay in open postings | $134,500 | $205,000 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 25.9% | 73.7% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 3,771 | 17,941 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 623 | 1,504 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.4% | 4.6% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 25.9% | 47% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 56 | Atlanta |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.2% | 6.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.5% | 21.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +12.7% | -28.6% | 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 San Francisco at 115.6. The biggest difference is housing: 111 in Atlanta against 194.7 in San Francisco. Utilities are 44% 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 | San Francisco | Atlanta vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.1 | 115.6 | 13% lower |
| Housing | 111 | 194.7 | 43% lower |
| Goods | 100.4 | 108.5 | 7% lower |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 172.6 | 44% lower |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.2 | 9% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from San Francisco 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 San Francisco | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved | Salary in Atlanta | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $43,500 | $28,500 | $50,000 | $58,000 | $87,500 |
| $75,000 | $65,000 | $43,000 | $75,000 | $86,500 | $131,500 |
| $100,000 | $86,500 | $57,000 | $100,000 | $115,500 | $175,500 |
| $125,000 | $108,000 | $71,500 | $125,000 | $144,500 | $219,000 |
| $150,000 | $130,000 | $85,500 | $150,000 | $173,500 | $263,000 |
| $200,000 | $173,000 | $114,000 | $200,000 | $231,000 | $351,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $41.61 an hour in Atlanta for someone earning $100,000 in San Francisco.
Pay for the same job
Across the 59 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Atlanta for 0 and higher in San Francisco for 59. After local prices are counted, Atlanta comes out ahead in 3 and San Francisco in 56. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $18,500 in Atlanta against $38,900 in San Francisco.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Atlanta median | San Francisco median | Atlanta adjusted for prices | San Francisco adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,900 | $36,000 | $29,900 | $31,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,800 | $43,900 | $27,800 | $37,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | $32,900 | $43,900 | $32,800 | $37,900 |
| General and Operations Managers | $111,400 | $150,000 | $111,300 | $129,700 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,000 | $48,400 | $39,000 | $41,900 |
| Software Developers | $133,000 | $186,600 | $132,900 | $161,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $186,600 | $100,400 | $161,400 |
| Cashiers | $30,000 | $41,300 | $30,000 | $35,700 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,700 | $57,800 | $42,700 | $50,000 |
| Office Clerks, General | $43,300 | $52,000 | $43,300 | $45,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,200 | $45,100 | $36,100 | $39,000 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $18,500 | $38,900 | $18,400 | $33,600 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $80,000 | $104,500 | $80,000 | $90,400 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $79,000 | $97,000 | $78,900 | $83,900 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,900 | $44,200 | $35,900 | $38,200 |
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 0 of 11 and higher in San Francisco for 11. 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 | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $173,500 | 38 | $231,000 | 2016 |
| Sales | $125,000 | 143 | $180,000 | 869 |
| Product and design | $140,000 | 29 | $211,500 | 773 |
| Marketing | $142,500 | 46 | $190,000 | 722 |
| Software engineering | $167,500 | 17 | $220,000 | 555 |
| Operations and logistics | $104,000 | 35 | $187,500 | 526 |
| Security and IT | $180,000 | 17 | $235,000 | 523 |
| Finance and accounting | $113,000 | 35 | $191,000 | 383 |
| Legal and compliance | $145,000 | 21 | $226,500 | 330 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $97,500 | 42 | $250,000 | 85 |
| Data and analytics | $135,000 | 19 | $190,000 | 98 |
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 San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
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 56 in San Francisco; 25.9% and 47% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.2% of postings in Atlanta and 6.2% in San Francisco; senior and above are 41.4% and 54.3%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.5% of postings in Atlanta and 21.5% in San Francisco.
- Indeed's postings index sits 12.7% above its February 2020 level in Atlanta and 28.6% below in San Francisco.
- 25.9% of postings in Atlanta list pay, against 73.7% in San Francisco.
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 San Francisco has the buying power of about $86,500 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, San Francisco comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($64,000 against $51,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $173,500 in Atlanta and $231,000 in San Francisco, which is $173,000 and $199,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (111 vs 194.7) 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 San Francisco?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 16% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 75% 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 San Francisco?
About $86,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (100.1 in Atlanta, 115.6 in San Francisco). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Atlanta or San Francisco?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, San Francisco has the higher paycheck power: $64,000 against $51,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, San Francisco has more: 17,941 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