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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 3 of 3 cities in Pennsylvania beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Pittsburgh stands out at 88 on the index, with rent of $1,516/month and household income of $64,137. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 3 of 3 cities in Pennsylvania beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Pittsburgh stands out at 88 on the index, with rent of $1,516/month and household income of $64,137. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
So, Pittsburgh. Cost index of 88, rent at $1,516/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $64,137, which is below the national median. That alone makes it worth considering.
Pittsburgh rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Pittsburgh has increased from $1,467 to $1,516/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. Standard stuff, really.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And most of the time, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Pittsburgh — cost index 88, rent $1,516/mo, income $64,137
Pittsburgh rent up 3% over the past year
3 of 3 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Utilities Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | 97 | 88 | $1,516 | Details |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 100 | 101 | $1,734 | Details |
| 3 | Allentown | 100 | 99 | $1,699 | Details |
303,255 residents · Pennsylvania
The #1 spot goes to Pittsburgh, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,516/month — saving renters $4,548 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 88, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 98. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
1,550,542 residents · Pennsylvania
The #2 spot goes to Philadelphia, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,734/month — saving renters $1,932 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 101. The 34% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
124,880 residents · Pennsylvania
Look, Allentown is one of the cheaper options here. That's more or less in line with the region. Rent is $1,699/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 99. Income sits at $53,403. No major red flags in that number.
Cities are ranked by their utilities cost sub-index within Pennsylvania. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Pittsburgh ranks #1 in Pennsylvania for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $64,137.
Pittsburgh, PA has the lowest utilities index at 97, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Pittsburgh (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,516/mo, while Allentown (ranked #3) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,699/mo — a 11-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Pittsburgh is $1,516/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $379 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Pittsburgh is $230,723, which is 3.6× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Pennsylvania has a 3.07% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.34%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.36%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.