Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilkes-Barre, PA: $1,860 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,860

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,860 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $1,860
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,903
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,947 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,947
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Wilkes-Barre, PA costs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilkes-Barre, PA 37% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$20.35 $20.35

-27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.73 $49.73

$84.7 $84.7

-41.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 $9.63

$12.12 $12.12

-20.54%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$5.65 $5.65

-38.94%

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

$1.03 $1.03

$3.68 $3.68

-72.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.36 $2.36

-20.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$7.87 $7.87

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.14 $1.14

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.69 $3.69

-2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.31 $3.31

-36.86%

Eggs

$5.81 $5.81

$4.15 $4.15

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$12.98 $12.98

-36.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.86 $13.86

7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.40 $18.40

$16.34 $16.34

12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.69 $4.69

-25.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.45 $1.45

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.11 $5.11

6.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.52 $4.52

48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.08 $3.08

-41.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.38 $2.38

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.80 $1.80

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.22 $2.22

-32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$9.97 $9.97

20.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.05 $15.05

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.91 $2.91

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.22 $1.22

22.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.61%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.30%

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

$157 $157

$223 $223

-29.72%

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

$40.96 $40.96

$58.5 $58.5

-29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$71.2 $71.2

-6.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 $50.2

$53.0 $53.0

-5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

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

$1,053 $1,053

$1,459 $1,459

-27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$52.5 $52.5

-3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 $39.45

$42.75 $42.75

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 $80.1

$86.4 $86.4

-7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 $1,259

$2,112 $2,112

-40.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 $841

$1,230 $1,230

-31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 $1,773

$3,863 $3,863

-54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 $1,724

$2,407 $2,407

-28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,341 $4,341

$5,179 $5,179

-16.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.82

-3.37%

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

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Groceries & Markets

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Eating Out

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Getting Around

Wilkes-Barre, PA

–

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,259 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% 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: $50 in Wilkes-Barre, PA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $410 per month, with Wilkes-Barre, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h behind Wilkes-Barre, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,288

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Wilkes-Barre, PA Austin, TX 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilkes-Barre, PA
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Wilkes-Barre, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wilkes-Barre, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Wilkes-Barre, PA. 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: $1,259 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,053 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. 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 $50 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Wilkes-Barre, PA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.