City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 5.9% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $105,900 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.0% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($110,047 → $113,356), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,870 in Port St. Lucie | $94,456 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Pittsburgh → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $65,735 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $79,533 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $95,326 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $113,356 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $133,953 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $53,610 | $50,638 (−33.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $128,510 | $121,385 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $79,430 | $75,026 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $82,090 | $77,539 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.