

Cleveland vs Pittsburgh
$165/mo less in Pittsburgh
ClevelandPittsburghAbout 116 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Pittsburgh costs you more
- Property tax 1.61%
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,522/mo in Pittsburgh. $2,687/mo in Cleveland. −$1,980 a year.
Cleveland
$2,687
left each month
Pittsburgh
$2,522
−$165 vs Cleveland
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 306 households moved Cleveland → Pittsburgh (avg AGI $68,297). 378 went the other way. The whole move →
−$165 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Cleveland | Pittsburgh | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,417 | $7,495 | +$78 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,830 | $1,978 | +$148 |
| Take-home pay | $5,587 | $5,516 | −$70 |
| Rent | $1,065 | $1,163 | +$98 |
| Getting around | $515 | $497 | −$18 |
| Groceries | $364 | $368 | +$4 |
| Healthcare | $410 | $414 | +$4 |
| Utilities | $228 | $230 | +$2 |
| Everything else | $319 | $322 | +$3 |
| Left over | $2,687 | $2,522 | −$165 |
Salary to match Cleveland
$93,000
Gross pay in Pittsburgh that leaves the same amount as $89,000 in Cleveland.
Tax difference
−$1,503
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.7% in Cleveland, 26.4% in Pittsburgh.
More about Pittsburgh
Cleveland, OH in full
World-class hospitals and an orchestra, at the lowest rents of any large metro.
Pittsburgh, PA in full
Real city density and a robotics job market, at Rust Belt prices.
The other way
Start in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh → Cleveland →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Pittsburgh than Cleveland?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Pittsburgh leaves about $165 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,065 in Cleveland and $1,163 in Pittsburgh.
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 Cleveland to Pittsburgh?
The paycheck is taxed in Pennsylvania. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Cleveland and Pittsburgh changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.