City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 5.3% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $105,300 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from El Paso, TX to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| El Paso, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,293 in Pittsburgh | $94,973 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, El Paso → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $76,550 | $72,702 (+14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $124,500 | $118,242 (−7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $76,940 | $73,072 (+10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $82,370 | $78,229 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.