Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $2,190 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
106

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Wilkes-Barre, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526

New York, NY costs about 126% more than Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Wilkes-Barre, PA by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$18.15 $18.15

37.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$49.37 $49.37

143.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.40 $10.40

32.12%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$3.91 $3.91

68.80%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.99 $0.99

285.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 $1.99

44.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.85 $6.85

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.31 $7.31

37.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.25 $3.25

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.38 $4.38

75.57%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.02 $4.02

46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$10.82 $10.82

77.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.33 $13.33

33.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$17.75 $17.75

7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$6.42 $6.42

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.39 $1.39

64.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.39 $5.39

18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.79 $6.79

-0.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.90 $2.90

35.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.77 $3.77

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.97 $2.97

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.74 $2.74

-8.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$15.11 $15.11

19.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.83 $14.83

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.06 $3.06

6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.70 $4.70

-20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.47 $1.47

98.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.83 $3.83

-20.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.19 $2.19

-1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$29.91 $29.91

38.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 $1.10

1.82%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.9K $30.9K

7.05%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.21%

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

$219 $219

$238 $238

-7.86%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$57.5 $57.5

31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$74.2 $74.2

-5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$49.49 $49.49

133.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.75 $14.75

44.88%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,732 $1,732

98.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

249.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$54.5 $54.5

37.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.05 $48.05

8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$96.1 $96.1

21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$124 $124

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,253 $1,253

247.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$852 $852

265.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,736 $1,736

424.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,752 $1,752

207.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$4,296 $4,296

21.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.67

2.70%

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

Last update for New York, NY: 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

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9% 72.7% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20% 20.5% $113

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13% 30.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9% 1.2% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6% 14.7% $25

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9% 87.7% $147

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6% 50.1% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY 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 22% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $439 – making Wilkes-Barre, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🕒 Local time

23:18 11:18 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

41,288

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Wilkes-Barre, PA 160 km

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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

New York, NY vs Wilkes-Barre, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 126% more than Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. That's a gap of about 126%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,732 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,190, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Wilkes-Barre, PA it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wilkes-Barre, PA costs $2,190 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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