Utility Pages
Cost of Living · Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Cost of Living

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania costs approximately 5.0% below the US national average. Compare with 99 other major US cities.

0.95×
cost-of-living index (1.00 = US national average)
Pittsburgh ranks 2 of 2 cities in Pennsylvania by cost of living.
Cities MORE expensive than Pittsburgh (67)
San Francisco, CA
+52.6% more expensive
Oakland, CA
+42.1% more expensive
New York City, NY
+38.9% more expensive
Honolulu, HI
+36.8% more expensive
Irvine, CA
+36.8% more expensive
Los Angeles, CA
+28.4% more expensive
Boston, MA
+28.4% more expensive
San Diego, CA
+27.4% more expensive
Yonkers, NY
+26.3% more expensive
Anchorage, AK
+26.3% more expensive
Seattle, WA
+24.2% more expensive
Long Beach, CA
+24.2% more expensive
Anaheim, CA
+24.2% more expensive
Scottsdale, AZ
+24.2% more expensive
Chula Vista, CA
+21.1% more expensive
Miami, FL
+17.9% more expensive
Portland, OR
+15.8% more expensive
Newark, NJ
+15.8% more expensive
Sacramento, CA
+15.8% more expensive
Riverside, CA
+15.8% more expensive
Denver, CO
+13.7% more expensive
Chicago, IL
+10.5% more expensive
Austin, TX
+10.5% more expensive
Baltimore, MD
+10.5% more expensive
Stockton, CA
+10.5% more expensive
Aurora, CO
+10.5% more expensive
Hialeah, FL
+10.5% more expensive
Frisco, TX
+10.5% more expensive
Las Vegas, NV
+9.5% more expensive
Minneapolis, MN
+9.5% more expensive
Plano, TX
+9.5% more expensive
Chandler, AZ
+9.5% more expensive
Phoenix, AZ
+7.4% more expensive
Philadelphia, PA
+7.4% more expensive
Atlanta, GA
+7.4% more expensive
Tampa, FL
+7.4% more expensive
Henderson, NV
+7.4% more expensive
Reno, NV
+7.4% more expensive
Gilbert, AZ
+7.4% more expensive
Charleston, SC
+7.4% more expensive
Salt Lake City, UT
+7.4% more expensive
Orlando, FL
+6.3% more expensive
Wilmington, DE
+5.3% more expensive
Raleigh, NC
+5.3% more expensive
Virginia Beach, VA
+5.3% more expensive
St. Paul, MN
+5.3% more expensive
Chesapeake, VA
+5.3% more expensive
North Las Vegas, NV
+5.3% more expensive
Boise, ID
+5.3% more expensive
Fresno, CA
+5.3% more expensive
Worcester, MA
+5.3% more expensive
Dallas, TX
+4.2% more expensive
Nashville, TN
+4.2% more expensive
Colorado Springs, CO
+4.2% more expensive
Bakersfield, CA
+4.2% more expensive
St. Petersburg, FL
+4.2% more expensive
Madison, WI
+4.2% more expensive
Norfolk, VA
+3.2% more expensive
Jacksonville, FL
+2.1% more expensive
Charlotte, NC
+2.1% more expensive
Mesa, AZ
+2.1% more expensive
Houston, TX
+1.1% more expensive
Fort Worth, TX
+1.1% more expensive
Tucson, AZ
+1.1% more expensive
Glendale, AZ
+1.1% more expensive
Garland, TX
+1.1% more expensive
Spokane, WA
+1.1% more expensive
Cities CHEAPER than Pittsburgh (30)
Milwaukee, WI
−1.1% cheaper
Albuquerque, NM
−1.1% cheaper
New Orleans, LA
−1.1% cheaper
San Antonio, TX
−2.1% cheaper
Grand Rapids, MI
−2.1% cheaper
Columbus, OH
−3.2% cheaper
Detroit, MI
−3.2% cheaper
Cincinnati, OH
−3.2% cheaper
Kansas City, MO
−3.2% cheaper
Lexington, KY
−3.2% cheaper
Corpus Christi, TX
−3.2% cheaper
Buffalo, NY
−3.2% cheaper
Greensboro, NC
−3.2% cheaper
Knoxville, TN
−3.2% cheaper
El Paso, TX
−4.2% cheaper
Cleveland, OH
−4.2% cheaper
St. Louis, MO
−4.2% cheaper
Winston-Salem, NC
−4.2% cheaper
Indianapolis, IN
−5.3% cheaper
Louisville, KY
−5.3% cheaper
Omaha, NE
−5.3% cheaper
Memphis, TN
−6.3% cheaper
Oklahoma City, OK
−6.3% cheaper
Lincoln, NE
−6.3% cheaper
Birmingham, AL
−7.4% cheaper
Toledo, OH
−7.4% cheaper
Lubbock, TX
−7.4% cheaper
Wichita, KS
−9.5% cheaper
Fort Wayne, IN
−9.5% cheaper
Mobile, AL
−9.5% cheaper

What living in Pittsburgh costs

Pittsburgh carries a cost index of 0.95x the national baseline, placing it above 30 of the 99 metros tracked and below 67. Rent runs about $1,150 monthly; the median home is near $230,000.

Price-to-rent sits around 17 — the middle band where buying and renting are close enough that the decision turns on how long you will stay and what else you would do with the down payment.

Working and living here

Pittsburgh is a metro of roughly 2.3M and roughly flat, running on healthcare, higher education, robotics/tech. Larger employers include UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, PNC Financial Services (HQ).

Two tax details that change take-home here: Pittsburgh levies a local income tax of about 3.00% on top of state and federal — roughly $3,000 a year on a $100,000 salary — and Pennsylvania taxes income as well.

Getting around: Pittsburgh is served by limited transit. Budget for a car — around $9,000 a year all-in once insurance, fuel, maintenance and parking are counted, a cost the index assumes but does not itemise.

Climate: Humid continental climate: January lows near 23°F, July highs near 82°F.

Combined city and school-district earned income tax runs about 3% for residents; UPMC alone is the region's largest private employer, dwarfing the old steel-era manufacturing base it replaced.

Related tools

Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — pay by job and state. Compare against another metro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pittsburgh expensive to live in?▾
Relative to the US average, roughly average — the cost index is 0.95x, above 30 and below 67 of the 99 other metros tracked here. A one-bedroom averages $1,150 a month and the median home $230,000.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Pittsburgh?▾
A common rule keeps rent under 30% of gross income, which at $1,150 a month implies about $46,000 a year for a one-bedroom, before accounting for the 3.00% local income tax. That is a floor rather than a comfortable figure — it leaves nothing for savings or the car this metro effectively requires.