Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlanta, GA and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlanta, GA: $3,015 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Atlanta, GA
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Atlanta, GA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atlanta, GA and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Atlanta, GA and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,015 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $3,015
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $4,360 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $4,360
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $5,706 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $5,706
New York, NY $9,581

Atlanta, GA is about 39% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Atlanta, GA and New York, NY sit above the global median – Atlanta, GA by 123%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.30 $30.30

$24.65 $24.65

22.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$122 $122

-10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.91 $13.91

-14.23%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.59 $6.59

-14.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.84 $3.84

-30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.87 $2.87

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$7.79 $7.79

-8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.85 $9.85

-19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.38 $1.38

-39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.68 $4.68

-28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$7.54 $7.54

-51.86%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$5.93 $5.93

-18.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$18.83 $18.83

-27.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$17.36 $17.36

-15.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$18.51 $18.51

3.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.74 $6.74

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.09 $2.09

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$6.07 $6.07

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.74 $6.74

-19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$4.05 $4.05

-9.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$4.37 $4.37

-40.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.89 $2.89

-24.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.60 $2.60

8.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 $8.23

$18.72 $18.72

-56.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$20.06 $20.06

-25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.25 $3.25

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.73 $3.73

38.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.06 $3.06

-18.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$140 $140

-30.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.04 $3.04

18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.15 $2.15

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$41.82 $41.82

-42.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.12 $1.12

-6.25%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

2.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 $216

$219 $219

-1.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$73.2 $73.2

-5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$72.0 $72.0

14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.55 $30.55

$123 $123

-75.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 $15.73

$67.7 $67.7

-76.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$22.85 $22.85

-24.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,848 $1,848

$3,333 $3,333

-44.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$60.0K $60.0K

-62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$75.2 $75.2

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 $45.51

$52.4 $52.4

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$122 $122

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$133 $133

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$4,389 $4,389

-52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$3,130 $3,130

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,354 $3,354

$8,918 $8,918

-62.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$5,354 $5,354

-60.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,904 $3,904

$19.4K $19.4K

-79.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$6,806 $6,806

-61.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,158 $5,158

$5,343 $5,343

-3.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.82

-4.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Atlanta, GA: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Atlanta, GA

$1.5K 48.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 115% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Atlanta, GA

$455 15.1%

New York, NY

$545 11% 19.8% $90

Eating Out

Atlanta, GA

$416 13.8%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlanta, GA

$368 12.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 0.9% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Atlanta, GA

$137 4.5%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 25.7% $35

Getting Around

Atlanta, GA

$118 3.9%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 41.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Atlanta, GA

$65 2.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 159% $103

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Atlanta, GA versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Atlanta, GA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 vs $545 – making Atlanta, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

Same time as Atlanta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,823

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Atlanta, GA New York, NY 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Atlanta, GA
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Atlanta, GA vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,522 per month in Atlanta, GA and $7,424 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atlanta, GA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Atlanta, GA and $122 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,015 in Atlanta, GA and $4,950 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Atlanta, GA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Atlanta, GA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.