Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pittsburgh, PA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Pittsburgh, PA: $2,525 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Pittsburgh, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,525

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pittsburgh, PA and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pittsburgh, PA and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,525 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $2,525
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $3,630
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $4,736 per month in Pittsburgh, PA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Pittsburgh, PA $4,736
Seattle, WA $7,603

Pittsburgh, PA is about 34% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pittsburgh, PA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Pittsburgh, PA by 87%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$25.32 $25.32

-22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$101 $101

-40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$14.85 $14.85

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$4.84 $4.84

$6.59 $6.59

-26.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.22 $3.22

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.14 $3.14

-31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$8.18 $8.18

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.03 $8.03

1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$5.12 $5.12

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.30 $6.30

-23.17%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.90 $4.90

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$19.10 $19.10

-22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$18.50 $18.50

-31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$23.03 $23.03

-24.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.81 $5.81

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.95 $1.95

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.29 $5.29

-23.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$6.48 $6.48

-14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.57 $3.57

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.15 $3.15

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.85 $2.85

-16.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.42 $2.42

-17.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$12.75 $12.75

-13.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$14.99 $14.99

-14.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.17 $4.17

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$5.99 $5.99

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.04 $3.04

-7.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 $98.3

$110 $110

-10.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.55 $2.55

55.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.64 $1.64

-6.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.78 $20.78

$29.58 $29.58

-29.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.42 $1.42

-24.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K $37.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$252 $252

$299 $299

-15.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.5 $53.5

$70.8 $70.8

-24.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$88.3 $88.3

-22.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.26 $44.26

$79.5 $79.5

-44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$35.37 $35.37

-19.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$17.12 $17.12

-30.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$3,013 $3,013

-41.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$31.6K $31.6K

9.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.08 $46.08

$77.2 $77.2

-40.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.74 $47.74

$55.1 $55.1

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$126 $126

-41.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$163 $163

-37.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$2,464 $2,464

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$1,956 $1,956

-43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$4,711 $4,711

-48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$3,550 $3,550

-51.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,169 $3,169

$7,346 $7,346

-56.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 $2,023

$5,048 $5,048

-59.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,361 $4,361

$6,286 $6,286

-30.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.85

-4.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pittsburgh, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pittsburgh, PA

$1.1K 44.1%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 75.9% $844

Groceries & Markets

Pittsburgh, PA

$416 16.5%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 30.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pittsburgh, PA

$374 14.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 22.6% $84

Eating Out

Pittsburgh, PA

$314 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 30.2% $95

Getting Around

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 9.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 56.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Pittsburgh, PA

$68 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 67.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $542 – making Pittsburgh, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

3 h behind Pittsburgh, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

311,647

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pittsburgh, PA Seattle, WA 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pittsburgh, PA
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pittsburgh, PA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 51% more than Pittsburgh, PA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,788 per month in Pittsburgh, PA and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pittsburgh, PA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,752 per month in Pittsburgh, PA and $3,013 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pittsburgh, PA costs $2,525 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Pittsburgh, PA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.