Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Pittsburgh's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Pittsburgh?
Your $100,000 in Pittsburgh has the same purchasing power as $112,473 in the average US city. You'd need $12,473 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Pittsburgh's cost index of 89, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Pittsburgh? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and crime statistics come out reassuring, plus 3 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Pittsburgh sits at 89 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 11% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $1,153/mo against a typical household income of $60,187, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Pittsburgh reports roughly -24 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
Pittsburgh earns a Walk Score of 63/100 — above the US median, with denser neighborhoods scoring higher than the citywide aggregate suggests. A car is still useful for longer trips, but everyday life works on foot for a lot of residents. Transit Score comes in at 72/100 too, so even the trips that are too far to walk are usually doable on a bus or train.
The average one-way commute in Pittsburgh is about 23 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
47% of adults 25 and over in Pittsburgh hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Pittsburgh's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 24°F, Pittsburgh sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Pittsburgh averages roughly 24°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Pittsburgh runs about 81°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Pittsburgh falls in roughly USDA Zone 7. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Pittsburgh is at about 978 feet (298 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
By the numbers, yes. Pittsburgh reports roughly -24 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Pittsburgh's composite cost-of-living index is 89, roughly 11% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Somewhat. Pittsburgh earns a Walk Score of 63/100 — many daily errands are doable on foot, especially in the denser neighborhoods, but a car still helps for longer trips. Transit Score is 72 out of 100.
Roughly $62,237 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Pittsburgh runs about $1,153/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.