All Your Burning Questions Answered About Moving to Atlanta

Atlanta at a Glance

• Atlanta was founded on December 29, 1847
• 506,811 people live in Atlanta.
• Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is one of the world’s busiest airports.
• In 1886, Coca-Cola was invented and founded in Atlanta by Dr. John S. Pemberton.
• The Atlanta Tech Village, Buckhead, is the fourth-largest tech space in the U.S.
• Atlanta gets an average of 52 inches of rain each year and 1 inch of snow.
• During the Civil War in 1864, General William Sherman set Atlanta ablaze. About 40 percent of the city was destroyed.

 

What Is the Cost of Living in Atlanta?

Several factors affect the cost of living in each area, the average salary of the locality, the cost of real estate and transportation, and lots more. Thankfully, Atlanta is an affordable place to live. The cost of living in Atlanta is 2% lower than the national average.

Is it Expensive to Live in Atlanta?

Compared to other vibrant and trendy cities like San Francisco, New York, and Boston, living in Atlanta is a steal. Here’s why:

• The average monthly rent of an Atlanta one-bedroom apartment is $900 cheaper than most big cities in the US.
• You can also find affordable one-bedrooms in Atlanta’s suburbs for less than $1000.
• The average cost for utilities is less than $250 monthly, including air conditioning and internet.

(*Aptamigo) 

How Much Does It Cost to Live in Atlanta?

The cost to live in Atlanta is $2,550 for one person per month.

Expense	Cost
Rent – 1-bed outside city centre	$1,600
Utilities – Gas, water, electricity, phone & internet	$200
Groceries – Fresh produce & refrigerated items	$300
Entertainment & Leisure – 5 beers, 1 regular meal + 1 mid-range meal at restaurant, 1 cinema visit & 1 gym membership	$250
Transportation & Material Goods – 1 pair of jeans, 1 dress & 1 monthly transit pass	$200
Total	$2,550

(*Numbeo)

How Much is Rent in Atlanta?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Atlanta costs an average of $1,100 per month outside the city center. A 3-bedroom apartment in Atlanta costs an average of $2,000 per month outside the city center.

(*Numbeo)

How Much Is the MARTA Train in Atlanta?

For a one-way trip on trains or buses, the MARTA fare costs $2.50. When getting on a bus, you are allowed to pay the exact fare in cash. However, you must use a $2 reloadable Breeze Card or a $1 disposable paper ticket. For more details on the different fare options, see below.

Type of fare	Cost
Regular fare Up to four transfers within 3 hours.	$2.50
Children 46 inches and below. Only 2 per paying adult.	Free
Senior Citizens, Disabled Riders, and Medicare Recipients	$1.00
MARTA Mobility Paratransit	$4.00
1 Day Pass	$9.00
2 Day Pass	$14.00
3 Day Pass	$16.00
4 Day Pass	$19.00
7 Day Pass	$23.75
30 Day Pass	$95.00
Group Discounts	A minimum purchase of 200-day passes is required.
University Pass Monthly	Students: $68.50 Faculty: $83.80
Student Pass Program Weekly	$14.40

(*Marta Guide) 

 

What to Do in Atlanta?

Atlanta is one of the most important cities in the south and is a popular tourist destination. Since Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996, Georgia’s capital has enjoyed a gradual and steady rise in popularity. Whether you desire luxurious resorts or down-home country dining, Atlanta has something for everyone. Both residents and visitors will find activities and attractions in Atlanta to suit all tastes, from art museums to outdoor excursions.

 

What to Visit in Atlanta?

Here are a few places you must visit if moving to Atlanta:

• Atlanta History Center
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
• Piedmont Park
• Atlanta’s Fox Theater
• Atlanta Beltline
• Center for Civil and Human Rights
• Oakland Cemetery
• Centennial Olympic Park
• Fernbank Museum of Natural History
• Ponce City Market
• Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Georgia Aquarium
• College Football Hall of Fame
• Stone Mountain Park
• World of Coca-Cola
• High Museum of Art
• SunTrust Park
• Mercedes Benz Stadium
• Zoo Atlanta 
• CNN Studio Tours

 

What to Do in Atlanta at Night?

Some activities to do in Atlanta at night include:

• Georgia Aquarium Sleepover. Experience what it’s like to sleep under the sea at the Georgia Aquarium. The sleepover comes inclusive of food, presentations, guided tours, and more.
• Ride the Skyview Ferris Wheel and enjoy the beautiful skyline of Atlanta, perfect for a romantic evening.
• Visit the 22-acre green space of the Centennial Olympic Park and enjoy the view as the water fountains light up.
• Celebrate culture and arts in Atlanta’s theaters. Visit The Basement Theater and Fox Theater, among others, to enjoy Broadway musicals, local productions, and underground improvs.

 

What to Do in Atlanta with Kids?

Atlanta offers so many fun activities and places to visit for kids. The Georgia Aquarium allows a sleepover that lasts from 7 pm on the sleepover day to the end of the next day. Kids will enjoy sleeping under the sea, snacks, food, and fun presentations. Kids can also visit The Roof at Ponce City and enjoy playing with old-school carnival rides, mini-golf, and lots more. They can also take a trip to Zoo Atlanta to enjoy a feel of wildlife. Animals at Zoo Atlanta include Lions, Bears, Tigers, Giraffes, Giant Pandas, and more. Other fun activities include canoeing the Chattahoochee River, completing the obstacle course at Treetop Quest, engaging in physical exercise like dodgeball at Adventure Air Sports.

 

What to Do in Atlanta in the rain?

Nothing interrupts a day’s activity like unpredictable weather. However, Atlanta offers several indoor activities for everyone when the rain comes down. Here are some fun activities to do in Atlanta when it rains:

• Escape rooms! Spend a couple of hours unraveling clues and solving puzzles to help you escape one of these locked themed rooms at Escape the Room, Mission Escape, The Escape Game Atlanta, and Ultimate Escape.
• Enjoy more than 60 state-of-the-art arcade games that Game X offers for every age. It also features a full bar for food and drinks.
• Visit the Atlanta Monetary Museum to experience how money is made, moved, and destroyed by robots.
• Take the kids to the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Children will enjoy exploring, climbing, playing, and learning at this children’s museum for hours.
• The Painted Pin is a great location to escape the rain. Equipped with 20 lanes of pin bowling, Bocce ball, Ping pong, and more, you are in for a good time. It also features a full-service bar where you can enjoy cocktails, wines, and local beers.

Other fun indoor spots include Sky Zone, Stars and Strikes, Southeastern Railway Museum, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Hodgepodge Coffeehouse. Atlanta truly offers an endless list of exciting spots, no matter the weather.

 

 

What’s It Like to Live in Atlanta?

Living in Atlanta offers several benefits when compared to other metro cities. Notable among such benefits is the cost of renting apartments. Reports by the Atlanta Journal Constitution suggest that Atlanta offers a better value than cities with similarly sized populations when you compare housing costs to average household income.

 

Is Atlanta Safe?

Atlanta is generally safe. However, certain hotspots may spring up due to street gang violence. When visiting or moving to Atlanta, simply avoid sketchy neighborhoods like Adams Hill and Center Hill. Atlanta has occasionally been affected by earthquakes, severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes. The most recent disaster in and around metro Atlanta was in 2009 when continuous rain caused a massive flood that led to the death of at least 10 people and caused damages worth $500 million.

(*Travel Safe Abroad, GEMA)

 

Is Atlanta a Good Place to Live?

Atlanta is a great place to live and moving to Atlanta is an excellent choice. If you seek a big southern city with the feel of a small town, then Atlanta is the location for you. This city is filled with delicious food, amazing scenery, friendly people, and it presents you with a mix of culture, history, and modernization.

 

Where to Live in Atlanta?

Are you single? Do you have kids? Do you enjoy shopping, art, music? Whatever your lifestyle choices are, Atlanta offers neighborhoods to suit everyone.

Lifestyle	Where to live in Atlanta
Artist	Virginia Highland
Athlete or influencer	Buckhead
Young professional	Old Fourth Ward
Older professional	Midtown
Mid-age professional	Druid Hills
Family with kids	Kirkwood
Single or student	Decatur

 

What’s the Weather Like in Atlanta?

Atlanta is considered humid subtropical, with mild and rainy winters and hot and muggy summers. Atlanta still experiences rain and thunderstorms during summer. January is the coldest month in Atlanta, with an average temperature of 44 °F. At the same time, July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 80 °F.

The average temperatures in Atlanta during the 4 seasons are as follows:

• Weather in Atlanta in summer: 97°F
• Weather in Atlanta in fall: 72°F
• Weather in Atlanta in winter: 64°F
• Weather in Atlanta in spring: 70°F

(*Climates to Travel)

 

How cold does it get in Atlanta?

Sometimes, intrusions of cold air from Canada can drop the temperature of Atlanta to 10°F, and it may snow.

Does it Rain in Atlanta?

Atlanta experiences generous rainfall every year (50 inches of rain), with July being its wettest month.

Does it Snow in Atlanta?

Snow is not common in Atlanta. However, when temperatures drop to about 10°F, it may snow. Atlanta only experiences around 3 inches of snow every year.

 

Where to Eat in Atlanta?

If you are obsessed with southern food or simply curious to discover the mouth-watering delicacies of the south, Atlanta is the ideal place for you. Atlanta boasts of being the epicenter of the best Soul Food in the U.S. There is also a diverse blend of foreign restaurants ranging from Filipino to Ethiopian, Bangladeshi and Colombian.

What food is Atlanta known for?

Atlanta is known for its BBQ food. Whether it’s pork or chicken, Atlanta offers great BBQ meals.

 

Where to Eat in Downtown Atlanta?

There are a lot of awesome places to eat in Downtown Atlanta. They include Steamhouse Lounge, Hsu’s Gourmet, Ted’s Montana Grill, Meehan’s Public House.

 

Where to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in Atlanta?

Thinking of eating out or ordering on Thanksgiving Day, here’s a list of awesome places to have a great Thanksgiving dinner, either solo or with friends and family.

• 5Church Atlanta.
• Buca di Beppo.
• Del Frisco’s Grille.
• Kurt’s Euro Bistro.
• Le Bilboquet.
• Maggiano’s.
• Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails.
• Old Vinings Inn.
• Ray’s Restaurant
• Serenbe

*Reservations are recommended to save your spot.

 

More Questions About Moving to Atlanta!

What Time is Sunset in Atlanta?

Sunset in Atlanta has no fixed time. However, it’s usually seen anytime from 19:05 (GMT -4).

 

What Time is Sunrise in Atlanta?

Like the sunset in Atlanta, there’s no fixed time. Sunrise would normally be seen from 07:30 (GMT -4)

 

What Time Does it get Dark in Atlanta?

In Atlanta, it takes between 40-60 mins after sunset for it to get dark.

 

Where is the Bluff in Atlanta?

The Bluff is commonly called The Concrete Jungle. The L-shaped area is between the English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, a few minutes from Downtown.

 

How Many Peachtree Streets in Atlanta?

There is only 1 Peachtree Street in Atlanta. However, there are up to 71 streets that include Peachtree in their names.

 

What Famous People Live in Atlanta?

Atlanta is not called Southern Hollywood for anything. Many celebrities own million-dollar homes in Atlanta. They include Ludacris, Tyler Perry, Gucci Mane, T.I., Usher, Rick Ross, Dwight Howard, Justin Bieber, and Cardi B.

 

What to Know Before Moving to Atlanta?

Here are a couple of things you absolutely should know before moving to Atlanta:

• It’s hot and humid in Atlanta in the summer. Temperatures can go up to 97°F in summers.
• The roads can get quite congested with traffic.
• There are a lot of BBQ restaurants in Atlanta.
• It’s the South! Atlanta hasn’t drifted too far from its southern roots. You will notice the rich culture in the language, food, and general lifestyle.
• When moving to Atlanta for the first time, it’s better to rent an apartment before buying a home. Renting for at least the first year will allow you to get a better understanding of the neighborhoods, determine what you like and dislike, and allow you to make a more informed decision regarding buying a home.
• You’ll need a trusted Internet provider when moving to Atlanta, Georgia. 
• Don’t forget to change your address with the Georgia DMV. 

 

How to Move to Atlanta?

When you’ve finally decided on moving to Georgia, specifically Atlanta, it might get a little complicated. Moving your belongings might be daunting for one person or even an entire family. However, you can choose to hire one of the best moving companies to do all the heavy lifting and moving for you. Alternatively, you can simply rent a truck from a truck rental company and handle the moving if you can. When you finally arrive in Atlanta, most of your complications have passed, but you could also face challenges with accommodation. Whatever the problem is, you can always store your items in a storage unit in Atlanta and move them into your apartment or home later.