Cost of Living in Washington, DC

The cost of living in Washington, DC is same as the state average and 47% higher than the national average
Cost of Living in Washington, DC Compared to State Average Compared to National Average
Housing (Buy and Rent) - 140% higher
Utilities (Monthly) - 10% higher
Food - 6% higher
Healthcare - 11% higher
Transportation - 6% higher
Goods & Services - 16% higher

The cost of living in Washington, DC is same as the state average and 47% higher than the national average. Washington, DC housing is 140% more expensive than the U.S average, while utilities are about 10% pricier. When it comes to basic necessities such as food and clothing, groceries are around 16% more in Washington, DC than in the rest of the country, while clothing costs around 16% more .

Healthcare services such as doctor check-ups and dentistry cost 11% more here compared to the U.S. average. At the same time, non-necessary expenses such as entertainment and grooming services are 16% pricier in Washington, DC.

Housing is the most significant expense for most American households. The cost of living in a certain city takes into account both the price of rent and the price of a home. The average monthly rent in Washington is $2,485, while home prices circle around $1,187,108.

Average Monthly Rent $2,485
Home Price $1,187,108
Mortgage Rate 6.80%
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Both owning and renting come with utility expenses. These costs include basic services such as energy and telecommunications. In Washington, energy bills cost around $228.82 per month.

Energy $228.82
Phone $191.41

Food is the most important necessity and its cost varies around the country. This section includes the prices of everyday foods such as produce, meat and dairy. A bottle of milk costs about $4.80 in Washington, a dozen eggs go for around $3.81 and a pound of potatoes circles around $5.12.

Bread $4.21
Milk (1 gallon) $4.80
Eggs (dozen) $3.81
Cheese $4.66
Steak $13.92
Ground beef $5.90
Potatoes $5.12
Lettuce $1.82
Bananas $0.80
Orange juice $4.54
Coffee $6.00
Sugar $4.59
Cooking Oil $8.07
Frozen meal $4.14
Potato chips $4.15
Soft drink $2.88

The benchmark for this category is based on the prices of family doctor visits and specialized services such as optometry. In Washington, an optometry check-up costs around $116.00, while a dentist appointment is priced $138.82 on average.

Doctor $160.91
Dentist $138.82
Optometrist $116.00
Ibuprofen $11.97

Transportation expenses depend on multiple factors, with fuel being the most important. A gallon of gas is priced around $3.27 in Washington, while getting your tires balanced will run you about $75.95.

Gasoline (1 gallon) $3.27
Tire balance $75.95

The cost of clothing tells you how much more or less money you need to buy basic items such as jeans, shirts or slacks in a new city. A men's shirt costs around $39.33 here. Meanwhile, a pair of women's slacks will set you back around $35.41.

Men's shirt $39.33
Women’s slacks $35.41
Boy's jeans $30.82

The cost of entertainment and everyday services is based on common expenses in each category. For a movie ticket in Washington, you should budget around $15.60 a month. When it comes to personal services, a haircut usually goes for $40.16, while dry cleaning costs about $15.69.

Movie ticket $15.60
Yoga $25.37
Newspaper $8.08
Haircut $40.16
Beauty salon $74.15
Dry cleaning $15.69

The cost of living also takes median household income into account, so you can estimate how much more or less you could be earning in a new city by comparing it to the income in your current area. In Washington, the median household income is $101,722.

Median Household Income $101,722
What is a cost of living calculator?

The cost of living calculator tells you how much money you need to maintain your current standard of living in a different city. The cost of living comparison is based on your income and the price of basic necessities such as housing, transportation or food in the two cities you selected. Use the calculator to find out what income you will need in a new city and how much more or less you’ll need to budget for basic expenses.

Where does the data come from?

Consumer goods, services and home prices are sourced from The Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
The data on this page is updated bi-annually and it was last published in September 2024.

Average rent data is our in-house proprietary data from Yardi Matrix, where available. For the remaining locations, C2ER rent data was used. Yardi Matrix is a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors, a division of Yardi Systems, Inc.

Household income data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent estimates.