City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlantic City, NJ are 4.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $104,400 in Atlantic City, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,537 a month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Atlantic City, NJ and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,110 a year higher in Atlantic City, NJ than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.2% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Pittsburgh, PA ($117,284 → $110,047), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlantic City, NJ | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,766 in Pittsburgh | $104,422 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,110/yr.
83 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,110/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Atlantic City → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $63,815 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $77,211 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $92,543 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $110,047 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $130,042 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $76,550 | $79,935 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $124,500 | $130,005 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $76,940 | $80,342 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $82,370 | $86,012 (−13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.