City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Phoenix | Wilkes-Barre | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $897/mo | 47.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $98,200 | 246.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $46,597 | 54.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 100.8 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.9 | 104.4 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 104.2 | 97.2 | 7.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 99.8 | 4.2% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Phoenix, you'd need $79,970 in Wilkes-Barre to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wilkes-Barre, PA is about 20% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Wilkes-Barre than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $63,976 in Wilkes-Barre to keep the same standard of living.