Cost of Living: Pittsburgh, PA vs Reading, PA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,337/mo in Pittsburgh, PA versus $4,337/mo in Reading, PA. In the model, rent is about 13.89% of gross in Pittsburgh, PA versus 14.83% in Reading, PA, so Pittsburgh, PA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Pittsburgh, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Reading, PA
$4,337/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Pittsburgh, PA
13.89%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Reading, PA
14.83%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Pittsburgh, PA and Reading, PA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Pittsburgh, PA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Pittsburgh, PA
  • Lower home prices: Reading, PA
  • Higher median household income: Pittsburgh, PA

Cost of Living Index

Pittsburgh, PA: 89.6 (U.S. = 100) · Reading, PA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Pittsburgh, PA has a lower cost-of-living index than Reading, PA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Pittsburgh, PA: $906/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Reading, PA: $967/mo

Median rent in Reading, PA is $61/mo higher than in Pittsburgh, PA.

Median Home Price

Pittsburgh, PA: $118,800 · Reading, PA: $109,800

Median home price in Pittsburgh, PA is $9,000 higher than in Reading, PA.

Median Household Income

Pittsburgh, PA: $50,833 · Reading, PA: $45,599

Pittsburgh, PA has a higher median household income than Reading, PA by $5,234.

Pittsburgh, PA overview · Reading, PA overview · Popular comparisons