Moving to Pennsylvania from United States
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United States to Pennsylvania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United States to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 1.4% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $61,458 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from United States to Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $61,458
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.2% less
Groceries
pay 4.6% more
Transportation
pay 0.9% less
Housing
pay 9.4% less
Childcare
pay 10.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United States to Pennsylvania.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States performs better than Pennsylvania across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs better than Pennsylvania across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than United States?
Yes — Pennsylvania is on average about 18% cheaper than United States. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,364 in Pennsylvania on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Pennsylvania?
Usually fine from major cities in Pennsylvania. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to United States?
Pennsylvania performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Pennsylvania?
Both United States and Pennsylvania share the same official language: English.
