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Cost of living in Pittsburgh, PA

Compared with New York. Change city

$2,731a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $32,775 a year, enough to cover 24 months of the mortgage in Pittsburgh. The average commute is 10 minutes shorter each way, about 1.7 hours a week back4.

Typical home $245,000 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,185 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Pittsburgh skyline and a yellow bridge, PittsburghNils Huenerfuerst / Unsplash
All cities
  • Big-city lifeNFL, MLB, NHL teams
  • On the waterThree Rivers

Pittsburgh at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
Pittsburgh$1,346/mo
$245,000 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
Pittsburgh$1,185/mo
About $812 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in Pittsburgh

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs628% cheaper than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$126,157
Pittsburgh in a paragraph

The median listed home in Pittsburgh is $245,000 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 42% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $1,346 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,185 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 94.7, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $126,157 here.

Weather

8
  • 21.4°January low
  • 82.9°July high
  • 44.1 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
Pittsburgh$245,000
67% less, a $497,000 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
Pittsburgh$170
2.9 times the space for the money

Your New York, in Pittsburgh

The places you use now, matched to their closest counterpart.

  • Big city park
    In New YorkCentral Park
    In PittsburghSchenley Park456 acres of trails, woods and attractions; created in 1889 with land donated by Mary Schenley
  • Walking and biking trail
    In New YorkHudson River Greenway
    In PittsburghThree Rivers Heritage Trail35 miles, with more in development
  • Art museum
    In New YorkThe Met
    In PittsburghCarnegie Museum of ArtPart of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, founded as Carnegie Institute in November 1895; the first Carnegie International exhibition was held in 1896
  • Natural history museum
    In New YorkAmerican Museum of Natural History
    In PittsburghCarnegie Museum of Natural HistoryThe core exhibition, Dinosaurs in Their Time, has over 230 specimens, about 75% of them original fossils
Show 6 more matches
  • Broadway and the symphony
    In New YorkBroadway and Lincoln Center
    In PittsburghBenedum Center (Pittsburgh Cultural District)2,800-seat theater that hosts PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh
  • Food hall or market
    In New YorkChelsea Market
    In PittsburghStrip DistrictA one-half square mile shopping district bordering Downtown, with grocers, produce stands, meat and fish markets and sidewalk vendors
  • Waterfront
    In New YorkThe Battery
    In PittsburghPoint State Park36 acres at the confluence of three rivers, at the tip of the Golden Triangle; 601 Commonwealth Place
  • Neighborhood main street
    In New YorkCourt Street, Brooklyn
    In PittsburghButler Street, Lawrenceville3.8 miles from Doughboy Square to the Highland Park Bridge, parallel to the Allegheny River; the main commercial street of Lawrenceville, with bars, restaurants, breweries and specialty shops
  • Big-league ballpark
    In New YorkYankee Stadium and Citi Field
    In PittsburghPNC ParkOpened April 9, 2001; capacity 38,362; fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Day trip to nature
    In New YorkHudson Valley
    In PittsburghOhiopyle State ParkAbout 20,500 acres

See how Pittsburgh ranks for your household

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Is Pittsburgh a good place to live?

Pittsburgh fits families who want prices 5% below the US average and homes list 42% below the US median. The main trade-off is real winters. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Prices 5% below the US averageEveryday prices, rent included, index at 94.7 against a US average of 100.BEA regional price parities, 2024
  • Homes list 42% below the US median$245,000 median listing against $419,250 nationally.Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
  • Nonstop flights to New YorkFrom PIT to JFK, LGA, EWR.Airport route page, accessed October 14, 2026
  • On the waterThree RiversSlower Sundays city profile

What you trade

  • Real wintersJanuary lows average 21.4°F with 44.1 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals

Is Pittsburgh a good place to live? Read the full pros and cons

More on Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in Pittsburgh, PA?

The median listed home in Pittsburgh is $245,000 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 42% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $1,346 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,185 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 94.7, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $126,157 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to Pittsburgh?

The median listed home is $245,000 in Pittsburgh against $742,000 in the New York metro, 67% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $2,731 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in Pittsburgh?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the Pittsburgh metro is $1,185 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $812 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in Pittsburgh matches $150,000 in New York?

$126,157. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (94.7 in Pittsburgh, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does Pittsburgh pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover Pittsburgh as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in Pittsburgh?

January lows average 21.4°F and July highs 82.9°F, with 44.1 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Pittsburgh International Airport).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  8. 8Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Pittsburgh International Airport.
Sources for this page