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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,205 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,508 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Wilkes-Barre, PA costs roughly 12% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilkes-Barre, PA 60% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 $18.27

$18.39 €15.83

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.27 $49.27

$69.2 €59.5

-28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 $10.54

$14.13 €12.16

-25.41%

Cappuccino

$3.91 $3.91

$3.13 €2.70

24.92%

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

$0.98 $0.98

$3.02 €2.59

-67.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.96 €1.69

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.00 €3.44

68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$4.76 €4.10

60.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.25 €1.07

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.16 €1.86

58.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.69 €1.45

169.23%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.93 €4.24

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$17.88 €15.39

-38.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.59 $13.59

$9.61 €8.27

41.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 $18.00

$19.34 €16.64

-6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$3.24 €2.78

95.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.18 €1.87

-37.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$2.67 €2.30

95.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.77 €2.39

150.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.21 €1.90

37.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.19 €1.88

76.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.52 €1.31

94.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.92 €0.79

189.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.50 $14.50

$7.12 €6.13

103.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$8.14 €7.00

82.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.50 €1.29

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.78 €2.39

74.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.15 €2.71

-52.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.25 €2.80

16.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.50 €1.29

46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.26 $30.26

$34.89 €30.03

-13.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.75 €1.50

-42.86%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$36.7K €31.5K

-4.03%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$30.9K €26.6K

-15.87%

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

$235 $235

$188 €161

25.43%

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

$58.6 $58.6

$15.44 €13.29

279.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$37.80 €32.52

96.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 $51.0

$57.2 €49.21

-10.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 $14.97

$11.58 €9.96

29.27%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,003 €863

68.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$17.0K €14.6K

4.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$89.2 €76.8

-38.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.12 $47.12

$40.87 €35.17

15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$110 €94.6

-11.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$123 €106

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 $1,251

$1,673 €1,440

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 $833

$1,331 €1,146

-37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$2,596 €2,234

-31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 $1,744

$1,950 €1,678

-10.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,292 $4,292

$2,402 €2,067

78.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

3.16

90.82%

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

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilkes-Barre, PA pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $442 vs $332, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilkes-Barre, PA and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,205 vs $2,495 including rent). Wilkes-Barre, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Wilkes-Barre, PA, 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: $1,251 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,694 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $1,003 in Barcelona. 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,205 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wilkes-Barre, PA but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Wilkes-Barre, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Wilkes-Barre, PA and Barcelona 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.