Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

106

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index
184

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

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Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wilkes-Barre, PA and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Wilkes-Barre, PA costs roughly 42% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 $18.15

$24.52 $24.52

-25.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$98.2 $98.2

-49.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 $10.40

$14.79 $14.79

-29.68%

Cappuccino

$3.91 $3.91

$6.52 $6.52

-40.03%

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

$0.99 $0.99

$3.23 $3.23

-69.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.17 $3.17

-37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$7.85 $7.85

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$8.03 $8.03

-8.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.21 $1.21

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.14 $5.14

-36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$6.05 $6.05

-27.60%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.88 $4.88

-17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 $10.82

$19.18 $19.18

-43.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$18.91 $18.91

-29.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$23.31 $23.31

-23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$5.99 $5.99

7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.93 $1.93

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.25 $5.25

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$6.57 $6.57

3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.62 $3.62

-19.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.31 $3.31

13.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.78 $2.78

6.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.51 $2.51

9.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$12.18 $12.18

24.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.22 $4.22

-27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 $4.70

$5.77 $5.77

-18.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.95 $2.95

-50.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.65 $2.65

44.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.72 $1.72

27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$29.72 $29.72

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.49 $1.49

-26.17%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$35.9K $35.9K

-13.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.31%

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

$238 $238

$302 $302

-21.15%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$70.1 $70.1

-18.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$85.3 $85.3

-12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$77.8 $77.8

-36.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$17.84 $17.84

-17.32%

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

$1,732 $1,732

$2,973 $2,973

-41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$31.3K $31.3K

-43.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$76.6 $76.6

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 $48.05

$54.1 $54.1

-11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$128 $128

-25.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$164 $164

-24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$2,445 $2,445

-48.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 $852

$1,947 $1,947

-56.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$4,744 $4,744

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$3,469 $3,469

-49.49%

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)

$4,296 $4,296

$6,506 $6,506

-33.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.89

-3.19%

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 Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 128% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 24.4% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 23.7% $88

Eating Out

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 40.7% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 31.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 43.7% $35

Getting Around

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 525% $109

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 $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. 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: $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $546 per month, with Wilkes-Barre, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

3 h behind Wilkes-Barre, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,288

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

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Wilkes-Barre, PA
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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

Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Seattle, WA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,732 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,973 in Seattle, WA. 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.