Median rent is 7% lower in Tulsa ($1,052/mo vs $1,130/mo). Buying is cheaper in Tulsa, where the median home runs $205,300 versus $231,300. Households earn more in Oklahoma City ($68,656 vs $59,838 a year).
City A
Oklahoma City, OK
City B
Tulsa, OK
How much would you need to earn in Tulsa, OK to maintain your standard of living from Oklahoma City, OK?
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
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Tulsa
Oklahoma
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
Median rent is modestly lower in Tulsa at $1,052/mo compared to $1,130/mo in Oklahoma City (7% gap). Median home values are within 11% of each other: $231,300 in Oklahoma City and $205,300 in Tulsa.
Metric
Oklahoma City
Tulsa
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Oklahoma City
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Tulsa
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Tulsa has cleaner air on average: 44.0 AQI (Good) compared to 48.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Oklahoma City if you prioritize higher median household income ($68,656/yr).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,130/mo in Oklahoma City, OK and $1,052/mo in Tulsa, OK. Tulsa, OK has the lower rent by about 7%.
Median household income is $68,656 in Oklahoma City, OK and $59,838 in Tulsa, OK. Oklahoma City, OK has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Tulsa, OK has better air quality on average: 44.0 AQI versus 48.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
