Allegheny County · Pennsylvania
Cost of living in Pittsburgh, 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
Living in Pittsburgh, PA costs 5.3% below the national average — an all-items price level of 94.7. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $94,671 here.
- 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. |
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.
The median household in Pittsburgh earns $62,637. Deflated by the local price level, that is $66,163 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 94.7.
More on Pittsburgh
Same city, other datasets.
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.