Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harrisburg, PA and Williamsburg, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisburg, PA: $2,495 a month against $2,819 in Williamsburg, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Harrisburg, PA
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Harrisburg, PA Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Williamsburg, VA
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Williamsburg, VA Living Index

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Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Williamsburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,819

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harrisburg, PA and in Williamsburg, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Harrisburg, PA versus $2,819 in Williamsburg, VA.

Harrisburg, PA $2,495
Williamsburg, VA $2,819

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,624 in Harrisburg, PA versus $4,192 in Williamsburg, VA.

Harrisburg, PA $3,624
Williamsburg, VA $4,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,752 in Harrisburg, PA versus $5,566 in Williamsburg, VA.

Harrisburg, PA $4,752
Williamsburg, VA $5,566

Living in Harrisburg, PA costs roughly 11% less than in Williamsburg, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harrisburg, PA 84% above, Williamsburg, VA 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.34 $13.34

$18.86 $18.86

-29.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$76.3 $76.3

-13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 $10.67

$12.80 $12.80

-16.64%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.64 $5.64

-8.87%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.76 $2.76

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.12 $2.12

8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.09 $5.09

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$7.43 $7.43

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.10 $1.10

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.80 $3.80

4.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.87 $3.87

-35.14%

Eggs

$6.41 $6.41

$3.49 $3.49

83.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.12 $13.12

13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$8.23 $8.23

75.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$14.66 $14.66

28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.65 $5.65

-21.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.35 $1.35

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.73 $4.73

17.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$3.37 $3.37

56.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.62 $5.62

-45.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.31 $3.31

23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.55 $1.55

38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.79 $1.79

50.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$6.56 $6.56

80.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$10.59 $10.59

42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.24 $2.24

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.70 $3.70

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.53 $1.53

62.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 $49.42

$44.81 $44.81

10.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.05 $3.05

117.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.42 $1.42

36.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.47 $39.47

$22.73 $22.73

73.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.84 $0.84

29.76%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

-23.20%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

7.53%

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

$160 $160

$186 $186

-14.01%

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

$43.79 $43.79

$47.66 $47.66

-8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$59.7 $59.7

21.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.57 $27.57

$93.5 $93.5

-70.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$24.79 $24.79

-19.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$14.74 $14.74

-24.22%

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

$1,119 $1,119

$1,887 $1,887

-40.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$24.2K $24.2K

-14.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.56 $40.56

$37.56 $37.56

7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.10 $32.10

$35.37 $35.37

-9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 $79.0

$85.7 $85.7

-7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$155 $155

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$2,290 $2,290

-37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$1,517 $1,517

-16.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 $2,072

$2,670 $2,670

-22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 $2,006

$2,651 $2,651

-24.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 $1,884

$2,168 $2,168

-13.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 $1,803

$1,727 $1,727

4.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,176 $4,176

$4,462 $4,462

-6.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

6.5

-3.23%

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

Last update for Harrisburg, PA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Williamsburg, VA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harrisburg, PA

$1.3K 50.7%

Williamsburg, VA

$1.5K 53.8% 19.8% $251

Groceries & Markets

Harrisburg, PA

$453 18.2%

Williamsburg, VA

$366 13% 19.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harrisburg, PA

$276 11.1%

Williamsburg, VA

$294 10.4% 6.2% $17

Eating Out

Harrisburg, PA

$261 10.5%

Williamsburg, VA

$317 11.2% 21.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Harrisburg, PA

$113 4.5%

Williamsburg, VA

$141 5% 24.6% $28

Getting Around

Harrisburg, PA

$76 3%

Williamsburg, VA

$61 2.2% 19.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Harrisburg, PA

$50 2%

Williamsburg, VA

$123 4.4% 146% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA and $2,290 in Williamsburg, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Williamsburg, VA pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Harrisburg, PA vs $76.0 in Williamsburg, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $453 vs $366, with Williamsburg, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 Williamsburg, VA

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

Same time as Harrisburg, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,528

15,425

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Harrisburg, PA Williamsburg, VA 330 km

From you

Harrisburg, PA
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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

Harrisburg, PA vs Williamsburg, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harrisburg, PA and Williamsburg, VA differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,819 including rent). Harrisburg, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Williamsburg, VA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA versus $2,290 in Williamsburg, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,119 in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,887 in Williamsburg, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Williamsburg, VA pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Harrisburg, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Harrisburg, PA and Williamsburg, VA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Harrisburg, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Williamsburg, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.