Question 1

Is Atlanta or Los Angeles cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Atlanta, GA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,583/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,820/mo in Atlanta versus $2,903/mo in Los Angeles.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Atlanta vs Los Angeles?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $84,500/year before tax in Atlanta, GA and $122,000/year in Los Angeles, CA — a difference of about $37,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Atlanta or Los Angeles cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Atlanta, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $7,875/month in Atlanta and $11,266/month in Los Angeles, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Atlanta or Los Angeles?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Atlanta costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Atlanta65	Los Angeles47
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,439	$6,022
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,875	$11,266
Salary for comfort	$84,500/yr	$122,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,820	$2,903
Median home value	$420,600	$879,500
Median household income	$81,938	$80,366
Unemployment	3.5%	5.3%
Housing score	49	2
Jobs score	81	25
Safety score	26	47
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	68	100
Population	499.3K	3.9M
Summer high / winter low	90° / 33°	89° / 47°

Atlanta, GA vs Los Angeles, CA