City comparison
McAllen, TX vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 10.2% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $110,200 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in McAllen, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from McAllen, TX to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (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
| McAllen, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 85.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,217 in Pittsburgh | $90,730 in McAllen |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $847/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $35,830 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | McAllen | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 55.9 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 85.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
McAllen, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
40 Weak offer
Pittsburgh, PA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
McAllen, TX 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 McAllen, TX to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | McAllen, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, McAllen → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | McAllen, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in McAllen dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,110 | $76,550 | $69,454 (+10.1%) |
| Software Developers | $116,120 | $124,500 | $112,959 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $64,470 | $76,940 | $69,808 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,540 | $82,370 | $74,734 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.