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Cost of Living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Pittsburgh, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.

Population
307,632
Median household income
$66,954
Cost of living (US = 100)
94.7
Unemployment rate
5.3%

Is Pittsburgh a good place to live?

Pittsburgh is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 126 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.

A typical worker in Pittsburgh keeps $4,287 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job

  • Cost of living5% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
  • Rent$1,379 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
  • Taxes$1,524 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $1,542 of local income tax

Cost of living in Pittsburgh

Prices in the Pittsburgh, PA area run 5% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 28% below the US average.

  • Housing28% below the US average
  • Goods (food, clothing, cars)1% above the US average
  • Utilities8% above the US average
  • Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
  • All items5% below the US average

Monthly budget for one person

CostMonthlyYearly
Rent, 1-bedroom$1,379$16,548
Food$497$5,964
Transportation$393$4,716
Healthcare$344$4,128
Utilities$281$3,372
Total before taxes$2,894$34,728

Rent by apartment size

Monthly rentPittsburghWhole metro area
Studio$1,294$1,075
1 bedroom$1,379$1,146
2 bedrooms$1,671$1,389
3 bedrooms$2,131$1,773
4 bedrooms$2,315$1,925

Living in Pittsburgh

How Pittsburgh compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).

MeasurePittsburghUS
Median household income$66,954$81,604
Median home value$220,400$360,600
Median rent paid$1,304$1,487
Households renting51.7%34.7%
Unemployment rate5.3%4.6%
Living below the poverty line20.2%12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher53.3%36.9%
Median age34.5 years39.2 years
Average commute, one way24.4 minutes27.2 minutes
Working from home17.6%13.3%
Commuting by public transit13.8%3.7%

Home internet

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Pittsburgh, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 84.4% of homes and 99.3% can get gigabit speeds.

Pros and cons of living in Pittsburgh

Pros

  • Usable public transit. 13.8% of commuters take public transit, against 3.7% nationally.
  • Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $220,400, against $360,600 nationally.
  • Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 24.4 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
  • Lower cost of living. Prices are 5% below the US average (BEA, 2024).

Cons

  • Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $4,287 a year, less than in 126 of 178 large cities.
  • Higher poverty rate. 20.2% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
  • Local income tax. Residents also pay City of Pittsburgh (1%) and Pittsburgh Public Schools (2%) earned income tax and City of Pittsburgh Local Services Tax income tax: $1,542 on a typical wage.
  • Lower incomes. Median household income is $66,954, against $81,604 nationally.

What your job keeps in Pittsburgh

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 worker in Pittsburgh, PA
Typical salary
$49,650
Federal income tax
−$3,778
Payroll taxes
−$3,798
State income tax
−$1,524
Local income tax
−$1,542
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$16,548
Everyday costs
−$18,173
You keep$4,287

a year, or $357 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS Pittsburgh, PA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.

From $49,650 gross, deductions leave $4,287 a year.
Salary$49,650Federal income tax−$3,778Payroll taxes−$3,798State income tax−$1,524Local income tax−$1,542Rent, 1-bedroom−$16,548Everyday costs−$18,173You keep$4,287

What the most common jobs keep here

The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Pittsburgh, PA area.

JobMedian payYou keep
Software engineer$124,500$54,032
Project manager$99,320$37,900
Registered nurse$82,370$27,005
Teacher$80,355$25,709
Accountant$76,940$23,514
Carpenter$61,180$12,852
Truck driver$57,880$10,400
Social worker$54,148$7,629
Auto mechanic$48,900$3,730
Nursing assistant$43,080−$594

Other jobs, A–Z

What each keeps in Pittsburgh on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.

  • Civil engineer $38,774
  • Data scientist $36,197
  • Dental assistant $2,831
  • Dental hygienist $22,884
  • Dentist $73,182
  • Diesel mechanic $12,183
  • Electrician $18,628
  • Financial analyst $27,106
  • Firefighter $20,486
  • HVAC technician $13,564
  • Lawyer $59,350
  • Licensed practical nurse $14,248
  • Lineman $41,929
  • Mechanical engineer $37,083
  • Medical assistant −$771
  • Nurse practitioner $50,954
  • Occupational therapist $32,462
  • Paralegal $14,664
  • Paramedic $13,387
  • Pharmacist $60,061
  • Pharmacy technician −$1,559
  • Physical therapist $36,890
  • Physician assistant $54,486
  • Plumber $19,117
  • Police officer $27,531
  • Radiologic technologist $17,684
  • Respiratory therapist $22,570
  • Speech-language pathologist $26,645
  • Veterinarian $56,391
  • Welder $7,229

Local income tax:

Compare Pittsburgh with other cities

Compare Pittsburgh with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.

Moving to Pittsburgh

8 licensed interstate movers are based in Pittsburgh, and 34 more elsewhere in the Pittsburgh, PA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).

More cities in Pennsylvania

Questions people ask

Is Pittsburgh, PA a good place to live?

Pittsburgh is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 126 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $49,650 and keeps $4,287 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

What is the cost of living in Pittsburgh?

Prices in the Pittsburgh, PA area are 5% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,379 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,514 a month.

How much do you need to earn to live in Pittsburgh?

A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $43,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Pittsburgh, PA area earns $49,650.

What is the average rent in Pittsburgh?

HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,294 for a studio, $1,379 for a 1-bedroom and $1,671 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Pittsburgh at $1,304 a month (2024).

Does Pittsburgh have a state or city income tax?

Yes. On a typical wage of $49,650, Pennsylvania state income tax comes to about $1,524 a year. Pittsburgh residents also pay City of Pittsburgh (1%) and Pittsburgh Public Schools (2%) earned income tax and City of Pittsburgh Local Services Tax income tax, about $1,542 on the same wage.

What internet providers serve Pittsburgh?

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Pittsburgh, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 84.4% of homes can get fiber and 99.3% 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.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate