What Students Pay to Live in Atlanta
By Muntasir • Published Jul 03, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • US States & Cities
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Atlanta metro area is $1,660 a month, and a single MARTA ride costs $2.50.
🏠 HUD Fair Market Rent, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, 1BR: $1,660/month (FY2026)
🚊 MARTA single ride: $2.50, 1-day unlimited pass: $9.00
📩 MARTA rolled out a new tap-to-pay fare system, Better Breeze, in March 2026
🎓 The Atlanta University Center puts Clark Atlanta, Morehouse and Spelman within walking distance of each other
🏠 Rent along MARTA's rail lines tends to cost more than bus-only neighborhoods farther out
What Rent Costs in Atlanta
HUD's Fair Market Rent for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area is $1,660 a month for a one-bedroom unit in fiscal year 2026, according to HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent schedule . That figure spans a large metro area, so a unit near Georgia Tech or Georgia State downtown can cost more than one in the suburbs a MARTA ride away.
Atlanta has one of the largest concentrations of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country. The Atlanta University Center puts Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College within walking distance of each other on the west side of downtown, alongside Morehouse School of Medicine. That cluster, combined with Georgia State, Emory and Georgia Tech, means the city's student population spreads across several distinct neighborhoods rather than one campus core, which affects where rent runs high or low.
MARTA Fares
MARTA runs Atlanta's rail and bus network. A single ride costs $2.50, and a one-day unlimited pass costs $9.00, according to MARTA's fare programs page . MARTA launched a new fare collection system called Better Breeze in March 2026, adding upgraded fare gates and letting riders tap a credit or debit card or a mobile wallet directly at the gate instead of relying only on a Breeze Card.
| Fare type | 2026 price |
|---|---|
| Single ride | $2.50 |
| 1-day unlimited pass | $9.00 |
Tapping a contactless bank card or phone wallet at a Better Breeze gate skips the step of buying and reloading a separate Breeze Card, which matters if you are new to the city and do not want to carry another card.
Choosing a Neighborhood
Rent near MARTA rail stations in Midtown, Buckhead and around Georgia Tech tends to run above the metro-wide FMR, reflecting easy downtown access and a dense restaurant and job scene. Neighborhoods served mainly by MARTA bus routes, or areas farther along the rail lines toward the suburbs, generally cost less per square foot but add commute time. Weigh a longer bus or rail ride against the rent difference before you sign a lease outside the rail network.
A Monthly Snapshot
The FY2026 one-bedroom benchmark of $1,660 already sits above what most undergrads want to pay alone, so splitting a two-bedroom near Georgia State, Georgia Tech or the Atlanta University Center is the common route. Two roommates sharing a unit priced near the metro FMR land closer to $830 to $900 each for rent, depending on the exact size and neighborhood. Add a MARTA pass for daily commuting, and a rider who buys single fares for a five-day school week spends about $25 a week, or roughly $100 to $110 a month, on top of rent.
Ways Students Cut Costs
Compare rent right around a MARTA rail station against a unit a short bus ride away. The difference can be significant for the same commute time.
Use a contactless card or phone wallet on Better Breeze gates instead of buying a separate Breeze Card if you only ride occasionally.
Split a unit with roommates near the Atlanta University Center or Georgia State, where multi-bedroom housing options cluster around several campuses.
Check your school's cost-of-attendance page for on-campus housing rates, especially at Georgia Tech and Georgia State, which both offer options within walking distance of MARTA stations.
Budget for MARTA fares as a fixed monthly cost if you commute daily rather than paying per ride without tracking it.