Tulsa cost of living
Prices in the Tulsa, OK metro area run at 89.2 against a national average of 100, ranking it #308 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 68.2.
What drives the number
Prices in Tulsa run at 89.2 where the national average is 100, so about 10.8 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #308 of 387 metro areas. Against Oklahoma as a whole it is 1.4 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 68.2 against goods at 93.8 and other services at 73.9, so the overall figure of 89.2 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up. Goods at 93.8 are themselves 6.2 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 89.2 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Tulsa is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 13,010 | $26,360 | $29,552 | $30,480 |
| General and Operations Managers | 12,630 | $87,240 | $97,803 | $102,950 |
| Retail Salespersons | 11,770 | $29,990 | $33,621 | $34,580 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 11,340 | $36,490 | $40,908 | $38,940 |
| Cashiers | 10,100 | $28,090 | $31,491 | $31,190 |
| Registered Nurses | 9,600 | $82,130 | $92,074 | $93,600 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,070 | $37,790 | $42,365 | $42,830 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 8,440 | $34,280 | $38,430 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 89.2.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | 90.4 | 73.9 | #282 |
| Fort Smith | 85.9 | 53.4 | #367 |
| Lawton | 85.9 | 57.4 | #371 |
Tulsa: common questions
Is Tulsa expensive?
Prices are 10.8% below the national average, a parity of 89.2 where the country is 100. It ranks #308 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Oklahoma as a whole it is 1.4 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Tulsa?
The median worker there earns $45,460, which buys what $50,964 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 68.2 against goods at 93.8. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.