Alpharetta vs. the World: Cheaper Rent Than London, Pricier Dining Than Tokyo

Tokyo might seem like an ambitious place to go looking for a cheaper dinner. In a new Numbeo comparison, though, restaurant prices in the Japanese capital come in 53% below Alpharetta’s. The airfare is, of course, a separate matter.

Alpharetta’s rents are lower than London’s and New York’s, while its restaurant prices exceed those in Berlin, Barcelona and Tokyo in Numbeo’s estimates. Across seven major cities, the picture changes with each household expense: a place with cheaper groceries can still come with a much larger rent payment.

New York offers some consolation

New York is more expensive across all three categories, with restaurant prices 28% higher, groceries 42% higher and rents 165% higher than Alpharetta’s. That puts its rent index at 2.65 times Alpharetta’s, the widest rental gap in the comparison. For local tenants facing a lease renewal, New York offers at least some consolation.

London’s rents are 68% higher and restaurant prices 17% higher, while groceries are 4% lower. Dubai also combines higher rents with cheaper groceries: its rents run 46% above Alpharetta’s, but restaurant prices are 9% lower and groceries 34% lower. Whether that trade works for a household depends on how much it spends in each category.

Berlin and Barcelona come in below Alpharetta in all three categories. So does Tokyo, where the dining gap is the standout. Rio de Janeiro has the lowest relative prices among the seven cities, with restaurants, rents and groceries each more than 50% below Alpharetta’s.

How the cities compare

On mobile, swipe left to see the full table.

Figures are relative to Alpharetta: positive percentages mean higher prices; negative percentages mean lower prices. Source: Numbeo, Nov. 11, 2026, comparison. All figures are approximate.

What the comparison leaves out

The local estimates rest on a small sample. Numbeo’s Alpharetta data, updated Oct. 20, included 148 price entries from 15 contributors over the preceding year. Numbeo combines user submissions with prices gathered from other sources and filters the results, but the figures remain estimates rather than a comprehensive survey of local businesses and rental properties.

Numbeo’s restaurant index covers a mix of meals and beverages, so Tokyo’s 53% gap does not mean an identical dinner costs half as much. The rent index compares apartments, without guaranteeing equivalent space, condition or neighborhoods. Differences in local earnings, transportation, health care and other household expenses fall outside these three columns, and exchange rates can shift the international comparisons.

Lower prices also do not necessarily mean residents can afford more; that depends on what they earn. The figures are useful for putting a familiar expense in perspective, provided they are not mistaken for a moving budget. An Alpharetta renter may find reassurance in New York’s numbers, while a frequent diner has more reason to linger over Tokyo’s.