Their dream job doesn’t pay. Their real job barely does.

Sam hoped to become a tattoo artist, but Atlanta’s rising costs have pushed them out of their apartment—and their passion

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Illustration by Khoa Tran

Sam went to school to become a registered behavior technician. Still—because of high housing costs and despite their degree and current work in a skilled labor field—they’re moving back in with family. They hope to save money for a while and “hopefully afford rent again in the future.”

“Rent in Atlanta is insane and, with inflation, it keeps going up; it’s like there’s nowhere you can go where it’s actually affordable here,” Sam said.

On top of that, their student loan payments start in August: $500 a month until the full $75,000 is paid off.

Sam loves getting tattoos. In fact, they want to become a tattoo artist themselves. But they feel like following their passion isn’t an option, financially. “Apprenticeships for tattooing aren’t paid,” they explained. “So you’re pouring all of your time into that during the week, but you’re not getting paid for it. But, like, how are you going to pay your bills?”

They know others who are giving up their dreams because of the cost of living, too. “My two best friends—they’ve been married for a couple years—they really want to have a kid, but they literally can’t afford to,” Sam said. “They’re not able to achieve their dream of having a family because of rent, bills, and everything else.”

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Job title

Registered behavior technician

Age

27

Neighborhood

Alpharetta

Lives with

Roommate and pets

Annual gross income

$38,000

Housing

$800 a month

Student loans

$500 a month

Health insurance cost per month + cost of any prescriptions

$100

Phone plan and monthly subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, food delivery services, apps, etc.)

$35

Utilities per month

$100

Transportation (car payment, car insurance, gas, public transportation, Uber)

$100

Groceries

$300

Restaurants, fast food, drinks at bars, coffees

$100

Savings/401(k)

$0

Vacations

$0

Fun (concerts, books, movies, recreational drugs, etc.)

$50

Clothes/beauty (new shoes, laundromat services, makeup)

$20

How much money would you need to live comfortably in Atlanta? What hourly rate or annual salary would you be happy with?

$35 an hour, minimum

What’s a nonessential item that you treat yourself to?

Gaming subscriptions

What would you like to have (that you don’t)?

Vacation and travel

What can be done to improve the cost of living in Atlanta?

Affordable housing

What’s the most challenging thing about living in Atlanta?

Literally, the cost of living

What do you love most about Atlanta?

How diverse the area is