City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 8.6% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $108,600 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $456 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Lafayette, LA to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Lafayette, LA | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,556 in Pittsburgh | $92,118 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$456/yr.
44 Weak offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$456/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lafayette, LA to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Lafayette → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $76,550 | $70,516 (+47.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $124,500 | $114,687 (+5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $76,940 | $70,876 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $82,370 | $75,878 (−7.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.