Moving from Bismarck to Pittsburgh

Moving to Pittsburgh costs you $844 a month

−$10,128 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.

Bismarck leftover

$3,329

a month after tax and rent

Pittsburgh leftover

$2,485

−$844 vs Bismarck

Monthly and annual budget comparison between Bismarck, ND and Pittsburgh, PA
Per monthBismarckPittsburghDifference
Gross pay$7,917$7,480−$436
Income and payroll tax$1,700$1,973+$273
Take-home pay$6,216$5,507−$709
Rent$1,090$1,191+$101
Getting around$534$497−$37
Groceries$348$368+$20
Healthcare$392$414+$22
Utilities$218$230+$12
Everything else$305$322+$17
Left over$3,329$2,485−$844

To break even in Pittsburgh, you'd need to earn

$105,500

Household gross, versus $95,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Bismarck does now.

The tax difference alone

−$4,826

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.5% in Bismarck, 26.4% in Pittsburgh.

More about Pittsburgh

Bismarck, ND in full

State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,298 and 196 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.

Pittsburgh, PA in full

Real city density and a robotics job market, at Rust Belt prices.

The reverse move

Same two cities, but starting from Pittsburgh on Pittsburgh wages.

PittsburghBismarck

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Pittsburgh than Bismarck?

A one-bedroom is about $1,090 in Bismarck versus $1,191 in Pittsburgh. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $844 a month lower in Pittsburgh. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.

Does Pittsburgh have state income tax?

Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.00%.

What changes if you move from Bismarck to Pittsburgh?

Take-home pay is recalculated under Pennsylvania tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.

Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.