2023 Report: Cities in Georgia where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Peach State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Georgia’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Georgia’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,004 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 139 cities and towns across Georgia, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Georgia and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Georgia’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Georgia residents pay $2,004 in household bills a month
The average Georgia household pays $2,004 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Georgia residents pay below-average household bill expenses: the state ranks 26th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending, and its monthly bill basket is only 2.1% lower than the national average: $2,046. Slightly more expensive than Georgia is Wyoming, where residents pay $2,031 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Wisconsin, where residents pay $1,977.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Georgia households spend 38% of their income on household costs, which is a higher share than many states where households pay more expensive bills. For example, New Jersey residents, though they live in the third most expensive state for bills, spend just 35% of household income on them.
Annually, Georgia residents pay $86 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Georgia by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Georgia
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,004 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $86 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 26 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 2.1% lower
Rent and Mortgage in Georgia are higher than the national average
The average Georgia household pays $2,004 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Some bills are higher than the national average, including mortgage, which, at $1,372 in Georgia, is 4% higher than the national average of $1,321. Rent in the Peach State is 5% lower than the national average: at $1,133 compared to $1,191.
Auto loans is a category in which Georgia residents spend more relative to the US average. The average Georgia household spends $495 on auto loans compared to the national average of $467: a 6% increase. A category in which Georgians spend less is life insurance, where they spend $81 compared to the national average of $89.
Health insurance is an area in which Georgia residents spend considerably less than the national average. The average household in the state pays $80 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $120, making the costs a substantial 33% lower than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Georgia Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Georgia Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Georgia Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,372 | $1,321 | 4% higher |
| Rent | $1,133 | $1,191 | 5% lower |
| Auto Loan | $495 | $467 | 6% higher |
| Utilities | $286 | $351 | 19% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $190 | $207 | 8% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $109 | $118 | 8% lower |
| Health Insurance | $80 | $120 | 33% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $109 | $119 | 8% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $70 | $84 | 17% lower |
| Life Insurance | $81 | $89 | 9% lower |
| Total | $2,004 | $2,046 | 2.1% lower |
Alpharetta is the most expensive area for Georgia’s household bills
Residents of Alpharetta pay the highest household bills in the state of Georgia, at an average of $2,894 per month. Suwanee comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,824 on household expenses.
However, residents who live in the first and second most expensive cities end up paying a lesser share of household income, on average, than Georgians in general. While the average state resident spends 38% of household income on bills, Alpharetta residents pay only 28%, and Suwanee residents also only pay 28%.
Other cities and towns in the “top 10” list pay a much larger share than Alpharetta, however: Duluth residents spend 39% of household income on bills, and residents of Buford spend 35%.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Georgia Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 139) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Alpharetta | $2,894 | 28% |
| 2 | Suwanee | $2,824 | 28% |
| 3 | Roswell | $2,654 | 28% |
| 4 | Richmond Hill | $2,551 | 34% |
| 5 | Peachtree City | $2,543 | 31% |
| 6 | Buford | $2,500 | 35% |
| 7 | Sharpsburg | $2,471 | 29% |
| 8 | Duluth | $2,466 | 39% |
| 9 | Marietta | $2,461 | 34% |
| 10 | Grayson | $2,454 | 29% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Blackshear is the most affordable place in Georgia for household bills
Out of 139 cities and towns, Blackshear is the most affordable place in Georgia, with residents paying $1,245 on average for household bills. They also spend a slightly lower share of household income on living expenses than the average Georgian does, at 31%.
Some of the other towns on the “10 most affordable” list spend an even larger share of income on bills, like Hazlehurst, which spends 47%, and Waycross, which spends 44%.
In absolute terms, Hartwell is second most affordable area in Georgia, with residents paying an average of $1,325 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Georgia are Moultrie ($1,325 a month), Summerville ($1,348 a month), and Dublin ($1,381 a month).
10 Most Affordable Georgia Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (130-139 out of 139) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 130 | Hazlehurst | $1,428 | 47% |
| 131 | Waycross | $1,425 | 44% |
| 132 | Toccoa | $1,410 | 38% |
| 133 | Gray | $1,409 | 25% |
| 134 | Milledgeville | $1,398 | 36% |
| 135 | Dublin | $1,381 | 42% |
| 136 | Summerville | $1,348 | 44% |
| 137 | Moultrie | $1,325 | 45% |
| 138 | Hartwell | $1,325 | 36% |
| 139 | Blackshear | $1,245 | 31% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Georgia’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.