It is the first question almost every renter asks, and the hardest one to get a straight answer to: what does it actually cost to rent an apartment in Squirrel Hill?
Part of the problem is that the advertised rent is rarely the whole number. Two apartments listed at the same price can cost very different amounts once utilities, parking and pet fees are counted. Below is an honest breakdown using our own current Squirrel Hill listings, so you can compare apartments the way your bank account will.
What Rents Look Like in Squirrel Hill Right Now
Across our available units in October 2026, monthly rent runs from about $1,215 to just over $2,000, depending on size, age of the building and what is included.
- One bedroom, smaller: around $1,215 to $1,600
- One bedroom, larger or recently renovated: around $1,590 to $2,000
- Two bedroom: around $1,625 to $2,078
Those ranges reflect what we have available today rather than a neighborhood-wide average, and they move as units lease and new ones come up. The current list is always on our available rentals page.
The Part Most Listings Leave Out: Utilities
This is where two apartments with identical rent stop being comparable. In Squirrel Hill you will generally run into one of three arrangements.
A flat monthly fee that covers almost everything. Our 2421 Beechwood Blvd Apt C is $1,625 plus a flat $255 per month that covers gas, heat, water, sewage, hot water, trash, landscaping and snow removal. You pay electric on top. The real monthly number is $1,880, and it barely moves in January.
A smaller shared fee. 5836 Alderson St Apt 1 is $1,590 plus a $70 monthly gas and water fee per tenant, with electric separate.
You pay the utilities directly. 5869 Northumberland St Apt 2L is $2,078 with tenants paying gas and electric. More control, but a Pittsburgh winter heating bill lands on you.
None of these is better than the others. A flat fee is predictable and easy to budget. Paying directly can be cheaper if you are frugal and away a lot. The mistake is comparing a flat-fee apartment to a utilities-separate apartment on rent alone and assuming they cost the same.
A Low Rent Is Not Always the Better Deal
Here is something worth doing before you sign anything: divide the rent by the square footage.
Our least expensive listing, 2419 Beechwood Blvd Apt B, is $1,215 a month. It is also 405 square feet, which works out to about $3.00 per square foot. Our $1,590 one bedroom on Alderson St is roughly 1,000 square feet, or about $1.59 per square foot. The cheaper apartment costs nearly twice as much per square foot.
That does not make it a bad apartment. A compact unit in a well-kept building with a flat utility fee is a genuinely good fit for one person who wants a low total monthly cost and no surprises. But if you are choosing between apartments and space matters to you, the headline rent will mislead you. Run the per square foot number on every place you tour.
What Else to Budget For
Parking. Many Squirrel Hill renters park on the street, and some buildings offer off-street options. At our Beechwood Blvd building, a garage spot is $150 per month when one is available. If you own a car, ask about parking on the first call rather than after you have fallen for the apartment.
Pets. Most of our units are pet friendly, usually with a pet deposit and monthly pet rent. Policies vary building to building, so confirm the specifics for the unit you want.
Moving in. Expect a rental application, a credit and background check, and proof of income, typically around 2.5 times the monthly rent. Leases are usually twelve months. Having pay stubs, references and your application fee ready is the single easiest way to beat other applicants to a good unit.
Laundry. Worth asking about, and worth money. An in-unit washer and dryer saves real time compared to coin-op machines in a basement, and it is one of the clearest differences between an older building and a newly renovated one.
Why Squirrel Hill Costs What It Costs
Squirrel Hill is not the cheapest neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and renters pay a bit more here for reasons that are easy to see on a tour. It is genuinely walkable, with Murray and Forbes Avenues putting groceries, restaurants, coffee, pharmacies and a library within a few blocks of most apartments. It sits next to Oakland, so commutes to Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, Chatham and the UPMC hospitals are short. Frequent buses run to Oakland and Downtown, and plenty of residents here do not own a car at all.
If you are weighing Squirrel Hill against other neighborhoods, our guide to renting in Squirrel Hill goes deeper on what daily life here is actually like.
When to Start Looking
Squirrel Hill moves on an academic rhythm. Demand is heaviest in late spring and summer as students and university staff line up leases for the fall, and good units in that window go quickly. Searching in the fall or winter means less competition and more room to negotiate, though fewer listings to choose from.
Whenever you start, the practical advice is the same. Decide your total monthly number, including utilities and parking, before you tour anything. It is much easier to walk away from an apartment you love at the wrong price when you worked out the right price first.
See What Is Available Now
Every listing on our site shows the rent, square footage and utility arrangement up front, so you can do this math before you ever pick up the phone. Browse our current Squirrel Hill rentals, or call us at (412) 918-1638 and tell us your budget. We will tell you honestly which of our units fit it and which do not.
