Median rent is 21% lower in Cincinnati ($1,001/mo vs $1,261/mo). Buying is cheaper in Pittsburgh, where the median home runs $205,800 versus $230,900. Households earn more in Pittsburgh ($65,742 vs $52,909 a year).
City A
Cincinnati, OH
City B
Pittsburgh, PA
How much would you need to earn in Pittsburgh, PA to maintain your standard of living from Cincinnati, OH?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Cincinnati
Ohio
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Cincinnati — median rent of $1,001/mo versus $1,261/mo in Pittsburgh, a 21% difference. Median home values are within 11% of each other: $230,900 in Cincinnati and $205,800 in Pittsburgh.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Cincinnati
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Pittsburgh
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Pittsburgh has cleaner air on average: 34.0 AQI (Good) compared to 54.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Pittsburgh if you prioritize higher median household income ($65,742/yr).
Pick Cincinnati if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,001/mo median).
Pick Pittsburgh if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 34.0).
Is Cincinnati cheaper than Pittsburgh?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh?
Median rent is $1,001/mo in Cincinnati, OH and $1,261/mo in Pittsburgh, PA. Cincinnati, OH has the lower rent by about 21%.
Which has higher salaries — Cincinnati or Pittsburgh?
Median household income is $52,909 in Cincinnati, OH and $65,742 in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh, PA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Pittsburgh, PA has better air quality on average: 34.0 AQI versus 54.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Cincinnati or Pittsburgh?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Pittsburgh to match my Cincinnati income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
