City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $113,500 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA ($112,556 → $124,085), while prices change by +13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,500 in Los Angeles | $88,106 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,957 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $87,061 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $104,349 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $124,085 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $146,632 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $101,860 | $89,744 (+17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $160,920 | $141,780 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $94,360 | $83,136 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $135,560 | $119,436 (+18.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.