If you are considering a move to Atlanta from NYC and are curious as to the Cost of Living in Atlanta and how it compares, stay tuned! In this blog I’m hitting the big ticket items like housing, transportation, food and more!
Atlanta is growing!
Atlanta Ga is thriving and growing! We are projected to hit 9 million people by 2050! Our job market is a major driving factor. We have 21 Fortune 500 companies headquartered here. Companies like The Home Depot, UPS, Delta Airlines, Coca Cola, The Southern Company and more. These companies are drawing people from all over the world, and many are quite surprised at our reasonable cost of living in Atlanta.
Transportation
Let’s start out with transportation costs. Transportation single w/no children $5113 a year, married with a kid grows to $11,672 a year. Compared to NYC at $4332 for a single person and $11,773.
Why is it cheaper for singles but more expensive for marrieds in NYC than in Atlanta? Are single people walking and riding their bikes more than married people? Can someone shed some light on that for me? I’d love to hear some opinions. I do know that there are a lot of runners in NYC, but there are a lot here in Atlanta too. Atlanta is actually known as Run City. But Atlanta is definitely a driving city when it comes to commuting. You will most likely need to own a car unless you plan to live really close to where you work. Most commuters in NYC are taking public transportation, walking or biking to work. And the City of NY makes it really expensive to own a private car, not to mention the time and trouble it takes for parking and storing it.
The Cost of Food
Atlanta has become known for its thriving food scene. We have lots of trendy restaurants, casual spots, food trucks and more! Gourmet donuts have become a big hit! A meal in an inexpensive place will cost you around $15 or $60 for 2 people in a higher end restaurant. If you are in NYC, you would expect to pay $20 a meal in a cheaper place and more like $100 in a mid range restaurant. If you are single in Atlanta, you will spend around $3200 a year on groceries and at least $7200 for a family of 3. In NYC that will cost over 40% more! A gallon of milk in Atlanta is about $3.65 and a loaf of bread is about $2.50. In NYC milk is over $6 and a loaf of bread is $3.50 or more! A mid range bottle of wine is $15 in both cities. The first time I was in NY City to run the marathon, I was a bit surprised at how much a cheeseburger costs there. But I don’t care how much it is, Junior’s Cheesecake will always be on my list! Ya’ll don’t judge me!
Healthcare Costs
No matter where you live, you have to consider the cost of healthcare. In Atlanta, a single person will spend about $1300 per year on their healthcare. For a family of 3 its over $8000. In NYC, a single adult will pay almost $3000 while a family pays around $7000. Both cities have an abundance of clinics and hospitals.
Owning a dog in Atlanta
Owning a dog definitely comes with expenses. In Atlanta, you can expect a full service groom to cost between $50 and $75, depending on the size and breed. If you will need to board your dog, that will cost you $25 to $50 per night. In NYC, you can expect to pay at least $100 for a groom and $75 a night for boarding. A routine visit to the vet will cost you around $45 in Atlanta but more than $60 in NYC.
Speaking of grooming, the average cost of a simple hair cut is $60 in Atlanta, but $195 in New York! Wow! If you need a referral let me know! I love my stylist! The average cost of a manicure is $25 and is about the same in Atlanta and NYC.
The Cost of Being Fit
If you are into fitness, or just like to go to the gym to meet people, you can expect to pay an average of $40 per month for a membership in Atlanta.
I was quite surprised to find out that a membership will run over $108 in New York. Here in Atlanta a lot of people have gym equipment in their homes. I see lots of homes where the owners turn the basement into a home gym. I’m not sure that would be motivating to me. I like running with friends, and I tend to actually run more than I would if I were always alone. Do you prefer to workout alone or with a group? Does the cost of a gym membership keep you from joining? I have seen an increase in outdoor group fitness programs like Camp Gladiator. They meet in parks and other public places and provide the necessary equipment. That’s a cool concept!
Childcare
The cost of childcare is a big ticket budget item for every parent, among all the other costs associated with having a child. In Atlanta you can expect to pay on average around $295 per week for daycare. It’s around $289 in NYC. But if you are going to put your child in a private preschool there seems to be a different story. In Atlanta that will cost you around $1300 per child or $2400 per month in NYC. The cost for one child is so expensive! I can’t imagine how much it is for two or even three children.
Housing
Housing costs make up the biggest difference in the cost of living in Atlanta and the cost of living in New York City. A 1 bedroom apartment in Atlanta will rent for about $1800 a month, and a 2 bedroom apartment is $2400. The average 1 bedroom apartment in Manhattan costs over $4100 a month. If you are purchasing your home, the median home price in Atlanta is $390,000. The median home price in NYC is $1.4 million. Yikes! Many are so surprised at how much home they can buy in the Atlanta area compared to other major cities, especially New York City.
So how much money do you need to make to live a happy life in Atlanta? Based on information at GoBankingRates.com, a salary of $121k per year would do it nicely. You’re going to need another $100k to live that life in NYC.
To put that in perspective, the overall cost of living in Atlanta is 44% lower than NYC, but Atlanta employers typically pay 17% less than employers in NYC. That leaves you with a lot of discretionary income if you make the move from the Big Apple to the ATL. So that means you can get a dog, join a swanky gym and eat out at all your favorite restaurants! Welcome to Atlanta!
About the Author
Teresa Fudge is a full time REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners. She is also a competitive marathon runner who has completed the Boston Marathon 6 times and the TCS NYC Marathon 2 times, so far. You can watch more of her videos here. If you are interested in learning more about the Atlanta real estate market, you can contact Teresa here.
