City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) | Columbus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,045/mo | $1,038/mo | 0.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $242,300 | $168,400 | 43.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $47,798 | $54,561 | 12.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 98.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 100.5 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), you'd need $99,333 in Columbus to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, GA is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), you'd need about $79,466 in Columbus to keep the same standard of living.