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New York vs Atlanta: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Atlanta is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 12% lower than in New York, and housing runs 34% lower. New York pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $61,500 against $51,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in New York ($54,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: New York runs 12% higher than Atlanta overall, and housing runs 34% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Atlanta, you need about $112,500 in New York. To keep $100,000 from New York, you need about $89,000 in Atlanta.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $61,500 in New York, $51,000 in Atlanta.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $168,000 in New York, $134,500 in Atlanta.
- Open postings in our data: 12,642 in New York from 1,485 employers, 3,771 in Atlanta from 623 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.7% in New York, 3.4% in Atlanta (BLS).
New York and Atlanta side by side
| Measure | New York | Atlanta | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 100.1 | Atlanta |
| Housing price level | 148.6 | 111 | Atlanta |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $61,500 | $51,000 | New York |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $54,500 | $51,000 | New York |
| Median pay in open postings | $168,000 | $134,500 | New York |
| Postings that list pay | 65.6% | 25.9% | New York |
| Open postings in our data | 12,642 | 3,771 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 1,485 | 623 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.7% | 3.4% | Atlanta |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.4% | 25.9% | Atlanta |
| Median days a posting has been open | 45 | 30 | Atlanta |
| Entry-level share of postings | 9.5% | 13.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 16.2% | 7.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -15% | +12.7% | 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
New York prices sit 112.6 against a US average of 100 and Atlanta at 100.1. The biggest difference is housing: 148.6 in New York against 111 in Atlanta. Utilities are 32% higher in New York. 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) | New York | Atlanta | New York vs Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 112.6 | 100.1 | 12% higher |
| Housing | 148.6 | 111 | 34% higher |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.4 | 10% higher |
| Utilities | 127 | 96.2 | 32% higher |
| Other services | 105.8 | 96.7 | 9% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Atlanta to New York; 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 Atlanta | Matching salary in New York | If only housing moved | Salary in New York | Matching salary in Atlanta | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $56,000 | $67,000 | $50,000 | $44,500 | $37,500 |
| $75,000 | $84,500 | $100,500 | $75,000 | $66,500 | $56,000 |
| $100,000 | $112,500 | $134,000 | $100,000 | $89,000 | $74,500 |
| $125,000 | $140,500 | $167,500 | $125,000 | $111,000 | $93,500 |
| $150,000 | $168,500 | $201,000 | $150,000 | $133,500 | $112,000 |
| $200,000 | $225,000 | $267,500 | $200,000 | $178,000 | $149,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $54.09 an hour in New York for someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta.
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 New York for 55 and higher in Atlanta for 2. After local prices are counted, New York comes out ahead in 42 and Atlanta in 15. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $47,600 in New York against $18,500 in Atlanta.
| Occupation (15 largest) | New York median | Atlanta median | New York adjusted for prices | Atlanta adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,700 | $29,900 | $35,300 | $29,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,300 | $32,900 | $34,000 | $32,800 |
| Registered Nurses | $119,700 | $100,500 | $106,400 | $100,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $157,000 | $111,400 | $139,500 | $111,300 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,400 | $27,800 | $31,500 | $27,800 |
| Cashiers | $36,000 | $30,000 | $31,900 | $30,000 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $42,800 | $35,900 | $38,100 | $35,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,300 | $39,000 | $38,500 | $39,000 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,600 | $42,700 | $44,100 | $42,700 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $47,600 | $18,500 | $42,300 | $18,400 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,600 | $36,200 | $34,300 | $36,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,700 | $43,300 | $42,300 | $43,300 |
| Security Guards | $44,000 | $35,200 | $39,100 | $35,100 |
| Software Developers | $166,800 | $133,000 | $148,200 | $132,900 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $51,400 | $45,300 | $45,700 | $45,200 |
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 New York for 11 of 11 and higher in Atlanta for 0. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | New York median listed pay | Postings | Atlanta median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $150,000 | 845 | $125,000 | 143 |
| Software developers | $211,500 | 707 | $173,500 | 38 |
| Marketing | $160,000 | 533 | $142,500 | 46 |
| Product and design | $190,000 | 437 | $140,000 | 29 |
| Operations and logistics | $150,000 | 379 | $104,000 | 35 |
| Legal and compliance | $185,000 | 292 | $145,000 | 21 |
| Finance and accounting | $160,000 | 233 | $113,000 | 35 |
| Software engineering | $205,000 | 220 | $167,500 | 17 |
| Data and analytics | $150,000 | 191 | $135,000 | 19 |
| Security and IT | $203,500 | 185 | $180,000 | 17 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $160,500 | 84 | $97,500 | 42 |
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 New York: Ramp (256), CoreWeave (155), DoorDash USA (151), Datadog (140), Profound (140).
- Largest posters in Atlanta: RaceTrac (190), Floor & Decor (97), CenterWell (73), DoorDash USA (61), Invesco (61).
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 45 days in New York and 30 in Atlanta; 41.4% and 25.9% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 9.5% of postings in New York and 13.2% in Atlanta; senior and above are 53.6% and 41.4%.
- Fully remote roles are 16.2% of postings in New York and 7.5% in Atlanta.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15% below its February 2020 level in New York and 12.7% above in Atlanta.
- 65.6% of postings in New York list pay, against 25.9% in Atlanta.
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 New York has the buying power of about $89,000 in Atlanta.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, New York comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($54,500 against $51,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $211,500 in New York and $173,500 in Atlanta, which is $188,000 and $173,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (148.6 vs 111) 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 New York or Atlanta?
Atlanta is cheaper. Overall prices run 12% lower than in New York, and housing runs 34% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in New York to match $100,000 in Atlanta?
About $112,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (112.6 in New York, 100.1 in Atlanta). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, New York or Atlanta?
New York has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $61,500 against $51,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, New York has the higher paycheck power: $54,500 against $51,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, New York has more: 12,642 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.
More on these places
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: all the data
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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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