Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

106

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index
239

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

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Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wilkes-Barre, PA and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wilkes-Barre, PA is about 56% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 $18.15

$24.99 $24.99

-27.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$120 $120

-58.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 $10.40

$13.74 $13.74

-24.31%

Cappuccino

$3.91 $3.91

$6.60 $6.60

-40.76%

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

$0.99 $0.99

$3.82 $3.82

-74.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.87 $2.87

-30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$7.95 $7.95

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$10.06 $10.06

-27.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.37 $1.37

-34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.75 $4.75

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$7.69 $7.69

-43.04%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$5.87 $5.87

-31.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 $10.82

$19.25 $19.25

-43.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$17.83 $17.83

-25.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$19.03 $19.03

-6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$6.69 $6.69

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.29 $2.29

-39.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.41 $6.41

-15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$6.75 $6.75

0.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.93 $3.93

-26.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.52 $4.52

-16.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.79 $2.79

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.51 $2.51

9.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$18.10 $18.10

-16.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$20.16 $20.16

-26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.26 $3.26

-6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.75 $3.75

25.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.92 $2.92

-49.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.06 $3.06

25.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.16 $2.16

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$41.33 $41.33

-27.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.12 $1.12

-1.79%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$33.1K $33.1K

-6.58%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.40%

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

$238 $238

$219 $219

8.53%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$75.3 $75.3

-23.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$70.5 $70.5

5.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$116 $116

-57.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$21.37 $21.37

-30.98%

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

$1,732 $1,732

$3,432 $3,432

-49.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$61.7K $61.7K

-71.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$74.9 $74.9

-27.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 $48.05

$52.1 $52.1

-7.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$117 $117

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$135 $135

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$4,347 $4,347

-71.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 $852

$3,117 $3,117

-72.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$9,110 $9,110

-80.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$5,379 $5,379

-67.44%

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)

$4,296 $4,296

$5,238 $5,238

-17.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.85

-2.63%

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

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 20, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 266% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 25.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 1.2% $4.5

Eating Out

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 43.2% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 17.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 100% $79

Getting Around

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 713% $147

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $4,347 in New York, NY. 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 $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $552 – making Wilkes-Barre, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

Same time as Wilkes-Barre, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,288

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Wilkes-Barre, PA New York, NY 160 km

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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 New York, NY: 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 $3,285 per month in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $7,407 in New York, NY. 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 $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 126%.

Kindergarten costs $1,732 per month in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $3,432 in New York, NY. 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.