Cost of living in Pittsburgh: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Pittsburgh sits 5.3% below the US average: for 2024, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area is 94.7, with the US at 100, and housing alone at 72.0.
- Overall prices
- 94.7US = 100, BEA 2024
- Level for housing prices
- 72.0 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Pittsburgh
A regional price parity compares costs for an identical basket of goods and services in one place against the US average, which is set at 100. Pittsburgh lies inside the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, which BEA prices as a single unit. Housing (rents) lies furthest from the US average, at 72.0, or 28.0% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Pittsburgh, PA metro | Pennsylvania | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 94.7 | 97.6 | −5.3% |
| Goods | 100.7 | 99.4 | +0.7% |
| Housing (rents) | 72.0 | 85.1 | −28.0% |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 109.3 | +7.7% |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.8 | −2.3% |
Regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024, come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
What rent costs in Pittsburgh
The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent for homes listed now in Pittsburgh at $1,569 a month, up 3.8% from a year earlier. The US figure is $1,932. Median gross rent from the Census, a figure that includes every renting household rather than only new leases, is $1,304. One year of the asking rent equals 28% of the median household income.
| Rent | Pittsburgh | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,569 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.8% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,304 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income taken by asking rent for a year | 28% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index, plus Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 figures (one-year estimates).
Pittsburgh home prices
A typical Pittsburgh home was worth $234,620 in September 2026, based on ZHVI, the Zillow Home Value Index, which tracks the value of a home in the middle of the market. The year-over-year change is −0.9%, and the US figure is $366,157. That equals 3.5 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Pittsburgh | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $234,620 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −0.9% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +67.6% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 12.5 | 15.8 |
Days on market and the forecast, with the price chart since 2000: Pittsburgh housing market.
What salary you need to live in Pittsburgh
To find the salary in Pittsburgh that lets your pay buy what it buys now, consider two questions: where you live and your earnings.
- Moving away from
- Salary
Side-by-side cities and the method: city cost of living comparison.
Moving to Pittsburgh? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
Pittsburgh cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Worth of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 94.7 | 72.0 | $1,569 | $234,620 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
US = 100 for price levels, from BEA regional price parities 2024. Rent: the Zillow ZORI index. Home value from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: living cost comparison by city. All states: state cost of living.