Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Wilkes-Barre, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $2,190 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
106

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 73% more expensive than in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Wilkes-Barre, PA 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.15 $18.15

35.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$49.37 $49.37

98.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.40 $10.40

42.21%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.91 $3.91

66.75%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$0.99 $0.99

226.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.99 $1.99

59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.85 $6.85

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.31 $7.31

9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.90 $0.90

34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.25 $3.25

58.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.38 $4.38

38.13%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.02 $4.02

21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.82 $10.82

77.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.33 $13.33

41.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.75 $17.75

31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.42 $6.42

-6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.39 $1.39

38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.39 $5.39

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.79 $6.79

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.90 $2.90

24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.77 $3.77

-12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.97 $2.97

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.74 $2.74

-8.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.11 $15.11

-19.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.06 $3.06

37.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.70 $4.70

22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.47 $1.47

100.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.83 $3.83

-30.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.19 $2.19

-21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$29.91 $29.91

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 $1.10

35.45%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.9K $30.9K

16.00%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.25%

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

$302 $302

$238 $238

26.82%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$57.5 $57.5

22.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$74.2 $74.2

14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$49.49 $49.49

57.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.75 $14.75

20.95%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,732 $1,732

71.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$17.7K $17.7K

77.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.5 $54.5

40.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.05 $48.05

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$96.1 $96.1

33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$124 $124

32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,253 $1,253

95.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$852 $852

128.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,736 $1,736

173.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,752 $1,752

98.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,296 $4,296

51.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 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

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9% 56.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20% 19.6% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9% 19.1% $88

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13% 28.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6% 23.7% $45

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9% 84% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6% 30.4% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 51% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $439 per month, with Wilkes-Barre, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

41,288

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Wilkes-Barre, PA 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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

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

Wilkes-Barre, PA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,732 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wilkes-Barre, PA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Wilkes-Barre, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wilkes-Barre, PA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Wilkes-Barre, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.