Allegheny County · Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh cost of living (PA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Pittsburgh, PA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Pittsburgh costs 5.3% below the national average — all-items price level 94.7, rank 71 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $94,671 here. Housing is the reason, at 72.0.
- All items
- 94.7US average = 100
- Housing
- 72.028.0% below the national average
- Goods
- 100.7in line with the national average
- Other services
- 97.72.3% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 100.7 | +0.7% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 72.0 | -28.0% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 107.7 | +7.7% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 97.7 | -2.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Pittsburgh price level
What the 94.7 figure actually means for a household here.
Pittsburgh prices sit 5.3% below the US average — an all-items parity of 94.7, rank 71 of 94 covered metros. Moderately below average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 72.0, 28.0% below average. Utilities pull the other way at 107.7. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 35.7 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Pittsburgh do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $94,671 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $62,637 median household income in Pittsburgh is worth $66,163 in national-average dollars, 15.8% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Pittsburgh, PA as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Pittsburgh, PA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (94.7 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $66,163
- Needed to match US average
- $59,299
- Monthly difference
- $-278
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$62,637 median household income in Pittsburgh is worth $66,163 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 94.7.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Pittsburgh expensive?
- No — 5.3% below the US average, rank 71 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 72.0.
- What salary do you need to live in Pittsburgh, PA?
- $94,671 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $62,637, worth $66,163 after adjusting for the 94.7 price level.
- Why is the cost of living low in Pittsburgh?
- Housing at 72.0 versus utilities at 107.7. A 35.7-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Pittsburgh data
Other Pittsburgh datasets on this site.
- Pittsburgh population and income
- Pittsburgh sales tax rate
- Pittsburgh property tax
- Pittsburgh home values and rent
- Pittsburgh crime rates
- Pittsburgh public schools
- Pittsburgh weather normals
- Pittsburgh commute times
- Pittsburgh jobs and wages
Statewide: Pennsylvania cities · Pennsylvania ZIP codes · Pennsylvania sales tax · Pennsylvania counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Pittsburgh, PA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.