City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 22.1% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $122,100 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.9% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to San Francisco, CA ($110,047 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,121 in San Francisco | $81,886 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Pittsburgh → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $77,161 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $93,358 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $111,896 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $133,060 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $157,236 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $101,860 | $83,409 (+9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $186,640 | $152,832 (+22.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $110,730 | $90,673 (+17.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $186,610 | $152,808 (+85.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.