Cost of Living in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Tulsa, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 416,209
- Median household income
- $60,930
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 89.2
- Unemployment rate
- 5.4%
Is Tulsa a good place to live?
Tulsa is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 131 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Tulsa keeps $9,406 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living11% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,036 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,555 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Tulsa
Prices in the Tulsa, OK area run 11% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 32% below the US average.
- Housing32% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities26% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)5% below the US average
- All items11% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,036 | $12,432 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $336 | $4,032 |
| Utilities | $192 | $2,304 |
| Total before taxes | $2,393 | $28,716 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Tulsa | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $975 | $947 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,036 | $1,007 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,265 | $1,229 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,658 | $1,611 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,936 | $1,882 |
Living in Tulsa
How Tulsa compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Tulsa | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,930 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $234,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,099 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 49% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 16.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 35.9 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 10.2% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Tulsa, led by Cox Communications, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 58.1% of homes and 83.8% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Tulsa
Pros and cons of living in Tulsa
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19.7 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $9,406 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 131 of 178 large cities.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 11% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,099 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
Cons
- Higher poverty rate. 16.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $60,930, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Tulsa
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $46,670
- Federal income tax
- −$3,420
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,570
- State income tax
- −$1,555
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,432
- Everyday costs
- −$16,287
a year, or $784 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Tulsa, OK. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Tulsa, OK area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Project manager | $93,240 | $42,055 |
| Registered nurse | $84,790 | $36,491 |
| Accountant | $81,320 | $34,206 |
| Electrician | $62,280 | $21,246 |
| Truck driver | $58,790 | $18,599 |
| Welder | $53,550 | $14,624 |
| Teacher | $48,407 | $10,723 |
| Social worker | $47,395 | $9,956 |
| Medical assistant | $39,440 | $3,922 |
| Nursing assistant | $36,720 | $1,859 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Tulsa on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $9,967
- Carpenter $9,512
- Civil engineer $47,876
- Data scientist $37,492
- Dental assistant $9,285
- Dental hygienist $46,737
- Dentist $88,624
- Diesel mechanic $17,795
- Financial analyst $36,175
- Firefighter $10,111
- HVAC technician $18,569
- Lawyer $51,920
- Licensed practical nurse $19,381
- Lineman $33,916
- Mechanical engineer $51,406
- Nurse practitioner $72,138
- Occupational therapist $52,005
- Paralegal $12,492
- Paramedic $9,497
- Pharmacist $73,006
- Pharmacy technician $4,726
- Physical therapist $47,060
- Physician assistant $68,894
- Plumber $19,092
- Police officer $22,694
- Radiologic technologist $24,993
- Respiratory therapist $33,501
- Software engineer $52,255
- Speech-language pathologist $35,951
- Veterinarian $45,348
Compare Tulsa with other cities
Compare Tulsa with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Tulsa
12 licensed interstate movers are based in Tulsa, and 2 more elsewhere in the Tulsa, OK area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Tulsa, OK a good place to live?
Tulsa is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 131 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $46,670 and keeps $9,406 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Tulsa?
Prices in the Tulsa, OK area are 11% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,036 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,357 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Tulsa?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $34,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Tulsa, OK area earns $46,670.
What is the average rent in Tulsa?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $975 for a studio, $1,036 for a 1-bedroom and $1,265 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Tulsa at $1,099 a month (2024).
Does Tulsa have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $46,670, Oklahoma state income tax comes to about $1,555 a year. Tulsa has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Tulsa?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Tulsa, led by Cox Communications, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 58.1% of homes can get fiber and 83.8% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate