Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Wilkes-Barre, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $2,190 a month against $2,553 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Berlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,553

/mo nomad

Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Wilkes-Barre, PA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Berlin and in Wilkes-Barre, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Berlin vs $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

Berlin $2,553
Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Berlin vs $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

Berlin $3,856
Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Berlin vs $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

Berlin $5,159
Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526

Berlin costs about 17% more than Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Wilkes-Barre, PA sit above the global median – Berlin by 88%, Wilkes-Barre, PA by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 €15.09

$18.15 $18.15

-6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €68.9

$49.37 $49.37

56.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$10.40 $10.40

29.52%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$3.91 $3.91

11.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.14

$0.99 $0.99

256.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$1.99 $1.99

58.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €4.98

$6.85 $6.85

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$7.31 $7.31

-39.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.90 $0.90

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$3.25 $3.25

-24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$4.38 $4.38

-22.15%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$4.02 $4.02

13.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 €15.33

$10.82 $10.82

59.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.89

$13.33 $13.33

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 €15.99

$17.75 $17.75

1.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$6.42 $6.42

-45.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.39 $1.39

46.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$5.39 $5.39

-39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.31

$6.79 $6.79

-45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.90 $2.90

-29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.77 $3.77

-41.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.97 $2.97

-52.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.74 $2.74

-64.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €9.22

$15.11 $15.11

-31.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$14.83 $14.83

-54.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$3.06 $3.06

-56.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$4.70 $4.70

-55.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €4.02

$1.47 $1.47

207.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.62

$3.83 $3.83

35.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 €2.87

$2.19 $2.19

47.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.61 €33.46

$29.91 $29.91

25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.10 $1.10

111.82%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.2K €29.5K

$30.9K $30.9K

7.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K €34.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

45.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$384 €342

$238 $238

61.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.27 €17.14

$57.5 $57.5

-66.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 €43.74

$74.2 $74.2

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 €35.17

$49.49 $49.49

-20.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.56 €30.74

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 €12.78

$14.75 $14.75

-2.58%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$146 €130

$1,732 $1,732

-91.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €14.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

-8.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.6

$54.5 $54.5

74.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.54

$48.05 $48.05

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.6

$96.1 $96.1

8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$124 $124

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,244

$1,253 $1,253

11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$852 $852

29.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,426

$1,736 $1,736

57.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 €1,871

$1,752 $1,752

20.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,630

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 €4,932

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 €3,070

$4,296 $4,296

-19.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.67

-43.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Berlin: October 17, 2026

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9% 22.9% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$453 17.7%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9% 18.4% $83

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$349 13.7%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20% 25.7% $90

Eating Out

Berlin

$292 11.4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13% 2.7% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$176 6.9%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6% 17.3% $30

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9% 81% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$68 2.7%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6% 15.7% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Berlin versus $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Wilkes-Barre, PA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Berlin vs $439 in Wilkes-Barre, PA – so Berlin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

20:20 8:20 PM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

41,288

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Wilkes-Barre, PA 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Wilkes-Barre, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Berlin and $3,285 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin and $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Berlin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,190, than in Berlin at $2,553. In Wilkes-Barre, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wilkes-Barre, PA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wilkes-Barre, PA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.