Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Ithaca vs Scranton

Ithaca vs Scranton

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Scranton 30% cheaper Moderate / Moderate

Ithaca

Yakov Leonov/Unsplash

Scranton

Nicholas Bukofski/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$4,368

Ithaca

$3,061

Scranton

Internet

279

Mbps

279

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Ithaca

Moderate

Scranton

Air Quality

5/5

Ithaca

5/5

Scranton

Healthcare

Low

Ithaca

Low

Scranton

Population

30.7k

Ithaca

76.7k

Scranton

Ithaca and Scranton are both in United States, making this one of the most common comparisons for digital nomads planning a base in the region. This guide breaks down the key differences across cost, internet, safety, weather, and quality of life.

Cost of Living

Scranton is the clear budget winner at $3061/mo — 30% cheaper than Ithaca's $4368/mo, a saving of $15684 per year.

For families, Ithaca costs $6160.96875/mo compared to Scranton's $5258.0625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Internet speeds are nearly identical — Ithaca at 279 Mbps and Scranton at 279 Mbps. Both handle video calls and uploads well.

Quality of Life

Both Ithaca and Scranton share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Ithaca and Scranton.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Ithaca is September (around 25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 417), while Scranton peaks in September (25 degrees, 0mm rain, score 399). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

IthacaScranton

Nomad$4,368/mo$3,061/mo

Expat$2,777/mo$2,149/mo

Local$1,760/mo$1,502/mo

Family$6,161/mo$5,258/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

IthacaScranton

City Speed

279 Mbps

Country Speed279 Mbps279 Mbps

Environment & Health

IthacaScranton

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionLowLow

ClimateModerateModerate

Humidity8081

Quality of Life

IthacaScranton

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareLowLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Ithaca

Scranton

Jan

-1°

0mm275

0°

0mm325

Feb

1°

0mm357

2°

0mm339

Mar

8°

0mm349

8°

0mm344

Apr

14°

3mm316

13°

1mm333

May

23°

1mm373

23°

0mm377

Jun

28°

1mm393

29°

0mm394

Jul

32°

1mm403

32°

0mm397

Aug

29°

1mm389

28°

1mm371

Sep

25°

0mm417

25°

0mm399

Oct

18°

0mm377

16°

0mm359

Nov

8°

0mm343

8°

0mm349

Dec

-2°

0mm296

-1°

0mm325

Who Should Choose Ithaca?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 30.7k residents
Peak season in September — 25 degrees, score 417

Who Should Choose Scranton?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 76.7k residents
Peak season in September — 25 degrees, score 399

Overall Verdict

This one is genuinely close. Both Ithaca ($4368/mo) and Scranton ($3061/mo) offer strong value for digital nomads — the right choice depends on your personal priorities.

Granular Price Comparison

Ithaca Scranton

ItemIthacaScrantonDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$15—

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$60—

—

McMeal or equivalent combo$10$8

20%

Cappuccino (regular)$4.12$4.6

10%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$5—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$6$4

33%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.18$1.5

31%

Water (0.33L)$1.51$1.25

17%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.85$0.92

White bread (500g)$2.7$2.41

11%

White rice (1kg)$2.26$3.16

28%

Eggs (12)$2.88$2.64

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.39$11.02

60%

Beef round (1kg)$10.68$6.37

40%

Local cheese (1kg)$11.38$14.23

20%

Apples (1kg)$5.88$6

Bananas (1kg)$1.14$1.96

42%

Oranges (1kg)$6.37$8.82

28%

Tomatoes (1kg)$5.96$3.23

46%

Potatoes (1kg)$2.84$2.46

13%

Onions (1kg)$2.9$2.09

28%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.39$1.66

16%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.99$0.89

55%

Wine, mid-range bottle$11$11

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.14—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.6$4.25

62%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$10$8.86

11%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.5$1.75

14%

Monthly transport pass$45$60

25%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.45$3

18%

Taxi per 1km$1.86$1.94

Taxi 1hr waiting$20$12

40%

Gasoline (1L)$1.08$1.28

16%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$30,000$19,000

37%

Toyota Corolla (new)$24,250$26,000

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$99.76$185.51

46%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$68$85

20%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.13$0.1

23%

🏋️Sport & Leisure2 items

Fitness club, monthly$84.67$28

67%

Cinema, 1 ticket$13.5$11

19%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$1,250$1,800

31%

International primary school/yr$15,500$7,800

50%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$34.25$37.49

Summer dress (chain store)$27$41.33

35%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$79.43$76.33

Men's leather business shoes$95.71$75

22%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,800$1,550

14%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,275$1,000

22%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,750$2,500

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$2,233.33$1,500

33%

🏗️Buy1 items

Price per m², outside centre—$1,076.39

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$3,216.67$2,178

32%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.99$4.45

11%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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