City comparison
New York, NY vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 18.9% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $118,900 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,790 a year higher in New York, NY than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.3% moving from New York, NY to Pittsburgh, PA ($125,431 → $110,047), while prices change by −15.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,105 in Pittsburgh | $118,899 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,790/yr.
100 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,790/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, New York → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,815 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,211 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $92,543 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $110,047 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $130,042 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $76,550 | $91,017 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $124,500 | $148,029 (−11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $76,940 | $91,481 (−13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $82,370 | $97,937 (−18.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.