City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 6.7% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $106,700 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Reno, NV ($110,047 → $106,855), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,700 in Reno | $93,721 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
49 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Reno, NV | Real change, Pittsburgh → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $61,965 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $74,972 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,859 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,855 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $126,271 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $62,430 | $58,510 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $125,710 | $117,816 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $82,370 | $77,198 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $107,520 | $100,768 (+22.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.