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Atlanta vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 11% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 36% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Atlanta runs 10% lower than Seattle overall, and housing runs 27% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $90,000 in Atlanta. To keep $100,000 from Atlanta, you need about $111,000 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,000 in Atlanta, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $134,500 in Atlanta, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.4% in Atlanta, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Atlanta and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Atlanta | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 111.1 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 111 | 151.3 | Atlanta |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,000 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $51,000 | $65,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $134,500 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 25.9% | 61.3% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 3,771 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 623 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.4% | 4.8% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 25.9% | 41.8% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 44 | Atlanta |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.2% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.5% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +12.7% | -32.4% | 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 Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 111 in Atlanta against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 4% 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 | Seattle | Atlanta vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.1 | 111.1 | 10% lower |
| Housing | 111 | 151.3 | 27% lower |
| Goods | 100.4 | 104 | 3% lower |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 92.8 | 4% higher |
| Other services | 96.7 | 106.8 | 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 Seattle 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 Seattle | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved | Salary in Atlanta | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,000 | $36,500 | $50,000 | $55,500 | $68,000 |
| $75,000 | $67,500 | $55,000 | $75,000 | $83,500 | $102,000 |
| $100,000 | $90,000 | $73,500 | $100,000 | $111,000 | $136,500 |
| $125,000 | $112,500 | $91,500 | $125,000 | $139,000 | $170,500 |
| $150,000 | $135,000 | $110,000 | $150,000 | $166,500 | $204,500 |
| $200,000 | $180,000 | $146,500 | $200,000 | $222,000 | $272,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $43.29 an hour in Atlanta for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Atlanta for 1 and higher in Seattle for 54. After local prices are counted, Atlanta comes out ahead in 4 and Seattle in 51. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $18,500 in Atlanta against $57,300 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Atlanta median | Seattle median | Atlanta adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,900 | $42,100 | $32,800 | $37,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,800 | $39,200 | $27,800 | $35,200 |
| Software Developers | $133,000 | $167,300 | $132,900 | $150,500 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,000 | $47,700 | $39,000 | $43,000 |
| General and Operations Managers | $111,400 | $146,000 | $111,300 | $131,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $128,300 | $100,400 | $115,400 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,700 | $53,600 | $42,700 | $48,200 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,900 | $48,200 | $29,900 | $43,400 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $80,000 | $101,900 | $80,000 | $91,700 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,200 | $46,800 | $36,100 | $42,100 |
| Cashiers | $30,000 | $44,200 | $30,000 | $39,800 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $18,500 | $57,300 | $18,400 | $51,500 |
| Office Clerks, General | $43,300 | $53,300 | $43,300 | $48,000 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,100 | $71,200 | $59,100 | $64,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,900 | $46,500 | $35,900 | $41,800 |
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 Seattle 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 | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $173,500 | 38 | $210,000 | 403 |
| Sales | $125,000 | 143 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Software engineering | $167,500 | 17 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Product and design | $140,000 | 29 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Operations and logistics | $104,000 | 35 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Marketing | $142,500 | 46 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Security and IT | $180,000 | 17 | $203,500 | 111 |
| Finance and accounting | $113,000 | 35 | $176,000 | 53 |
| Legal and compliance | $145,000 | 21 | $200,000 | 65 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $97,500 | 42 | $165,500 | 32 |
| Data and analytics | $135,000 | 19 | $152,500 | 25 |
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 Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
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 44 in Seattle; 25.9% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.2% of postings in Atlanta and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 41.4% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.5% of postings in Atlanta and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 12.7% above its February 2020 level in Atlanta and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 25.9% of postings in Atlanta list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
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 Seattle has the buying power of about $90,000 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $51,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $173,500 in Atlanta and $210,000 in Seattle, which is $173,000 and $189,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (111 vs 151.3) 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 Seattle?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 11% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 36% 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 Seattle?
About $90,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (100.1 in Atlanta, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Atlanta or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 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