Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williamsburg, VA and Harrisburg, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisburg, PA: $2,495 a month against $2,819 in Williamsburg, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Williamsburg, VA
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Williamsburg, VA Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Harrisburg, PA
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Harrisburg, PA Living Index

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Williamsburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,819

/mo nomad

Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Williamsburg, VA and in Harrisburg, PA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,819 in Williamsburg, VA versus $2,495 in Harrisburg, PA.

Williamsburg, VA $2,819
Harrisburg, PA $2,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,192 in Williamsburg, VA versus $3,624 in Harrisburg, PA.

Williamsburg, VA $4,192
Harrisburg, PA $3,624

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Williamsburg, VA versus $4,752 in Harrisburg, PA.

Williamsburg, VA $5,566
Harrisburg, PA $4,752

Living in Williamsburg, VA is roughly 13% more expensive than in Harrisburg, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Williamsburg, VA 108% above, Harrisburg, PA 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 $18.86

$13.34 $13.34

41.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$66.1 $66.1

15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 $12.80

$10.67 $10.67

19.96%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.14 $5.14

9.73%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.77 $2.77

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.30 $2.30

-7.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$5.13 $5.13

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 $7.43

$7.20 $7.20

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.29 $1.29

-14.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.97 $3.97

-4.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.51 $2.51

54.18%

Eggs

$3.49 $3.49

$6.41 $6.41

-45.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$14.93 $14.93

-12.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$14.44 $14.44

-43.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 $14.66

$18.78 $18.78

-21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.41 $4.41

28.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.65 $1.65

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.56 $5.56

-14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.28 $5.28

-36.17%

Potato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.06 $3.06

83.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.09 $4.09

-19.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.15 $2.15

-27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.69 $2.69

-33.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 $6.56

$11.81 $11.81

-44.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 $10.59

$15.11 $15.11

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.52 $2.52

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$5.13 $5.13

-27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.48 $2.48

-38.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.81 $44.81

$49.42 $49.42

-9.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$6.62 $6.62

-53.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.94 $1.94

-26.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.73 $22.73

$39.47 $39.47

-42.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.09 $1.09

-22.94%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

30.21%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.3K $27.3K

-7.00%

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

$186 $186

$160 $160

16.29%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$43.79 $43.79

8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$72.5 $72.5

-17.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.5 $93.5

$27.57 $27.57

239.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.79 $24.79

$20.01 $20.01

23.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$11.17 $11.17

31.96%

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

$1,887 $1,887

$1,119 $1,119

68.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$20.7K $20.7K

16.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.56 $37.56

$40.56 $40.56

-7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 $35.37

$32.10 $32.10

10.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$79.0 $79.0

8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$100 $100

54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 $2,290

$1,436 $1,436

59.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 $1,517

$1,266 $1,266

19.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 $2,670

$2,072 $2,072

28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$2,006 $2,006

32.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 $2,168

$1,884 $1,884

15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,727 $1,727

$1,803 $1,803

-4.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,462 $4,462

$4,176 $4,176

6.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.29

3.34%

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

Last update for Williamsburg, VA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Harrisburg, PA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williamsburg, VA

$1.5K 53.8%

Harrisburg, PA

$1.3K 50.7% 16.5% $251

Groceries & Markets

Williamsburg, VA

$366 13%

Harrisburg, PA

$453 18.2% 23.9% $87

Eating Out

Williamsburg, VA

$317 11.2%

Harrisburg, PA

$261 10.5% 17.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williamsburg, VA

$294 10.4%

Harrisburg, PA

$276 11.1% 5.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Williamsburg, VA

$141 5%

Harrisburg, PA

$113 4.5% 19.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Williamsburg, VA

$123 4.4%

Harrisburg, PA

$50 2% 59.4% $73

Getting Around

Williamsburg, VA

$61 2.2%

Harrisburg, PA

$76 3% 23.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,290 in Williamsburg, VA and $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Williamsburg, VA pays 7% 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: $76.0 in Williamsburg, VA vs $66.0 in Harrisburg, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $453, with Williamsburg, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Williamsburg, VA

🇺🇸 Harrisburg, PA

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Williamsburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,425

49,528

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Williamsburg, VA Harrisburg, PA 330 km

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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

Williamsburg, VA vs Harrisburg, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williamsburg, VA and Harrisburg, PA differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,819 vs $2,495 including rent). Harrisburg, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Williamsburg, VA, 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: $2,290 in Williamsburg, VA versus $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,887 in Williamsburg, VA versus $1,119 in Harrisburg, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Williamsburg, VA pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Harrisburg, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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