ATLANTA - If your wallet’s been feeling lighter every time you leave an Atlanta grocery store or glance at your rent statement, you’re not imagining things — it is expensive to live comfortably here. But take heart, Atlantans: at least we’re not in California.

What they're saying:

A new GoBankingRates study ranked the 50 largest U.S. cities based on how much you need to earn to live "comfortably," using the popular 50/30/20 budget rule (that’s 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings — or, if you’re in Atlanta, 50% for rent, 30% for traffic therapy, and 20% for Waffle House runs).

According to the study, you need to make about $112,700 a year to live comfortably in metro Atlanta, putting us at No. 17 on the list. That’s based on average single-family home prices of about

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