Moving to Georgia from New York

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What to Expect

Considering a move from New York to Georgia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from New York to Georgia, you would find that Georgia is 12.9% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $65,408 in Georgia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Atlanta averages 72°F vs 58°F in Albany, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New York and Georgia.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $65,408

To maintain the same standard of living in Georgia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 6.2% less

Groceries

pay 15.1% less

Transportation

pay 13.0% less

Housing

pay 3.7% less

Childcare

pay 30.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Georgia cost about 16% less than cities in New York.

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

Georgia

Marietta 70%
Savannah 66%
Athens 56%
Augusta 55%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Georgia compared to New York.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
GA
343
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
GA
1779

New York generally does better on safety, though Georgia leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
GA
11.8%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
GA
37.0%

New York performs better than Georgia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NY
$403,000
GA
$272,900
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
GA
$1,306

Georgia performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NY
89.7%
GA
89.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
GA
28 min

New York generally does better on infrastructure, though Georgia leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NY
4.4%
GA
3.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
GA
$61,706

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Georgia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NY
77.7 yrs
GA
75.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NY
28%
GA
22%

New York performs better than Georgia across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Atlanta Rain: 49.7 in/yr (1263 mm)
72° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Albany Atlanta
Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 58°/39°F (14°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 64°/45°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month Albany Atlanta
Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.3°C)
Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.2°C)
Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 65°/44°F (18.1°/6.7°C)
Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.8°C)
May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 80°/60°F (26.6°/15.7°C)
Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 86°/68°F (30.2°/20.1°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 89°/71°F (31.7°/21.8°C)
Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)
Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 82°/65°F (27.9°/18.2°C)
Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 73°/54°F (22.6°/12.2°C)
Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.9°C)
Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 54°/36°F (12.2°/2.5°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Georgia than New York?

On average Georgia is about 13% less expensive than New York, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Georgia?

Budget about $16,352 for 3 months in Georgia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Georgia safe?

New York generally does better on safety, though Georgia leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Georgia compared to New York?

New York performs better than Georgia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Georgia compared to New York?

The average high temperature in Atlanta is 72°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Atlanta receives around 49.7 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.

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