Cost of living in Washington D.C., United States

Summary of cost of living in Washington D.C.

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: $5,659
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: $3,368
  • Washington D.C. is the 3rd most expensive city in USA (3 out of 45)
  • Washington D.C. is the 4th most expensive city in N. America (4 out of 55)
  • Cost of living in Washington D.C. is more expensive than in 94% of cities in the World (14 out of 201)

List of prices in Washington D.C., United States. Current as of Apr 2021.

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Food [Edit]
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district $16
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) $9
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast $4.95
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk $1.01
12 eggs, large $2.88
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes $4.99
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese $7
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples $3.55
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes $1.85
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket $3.65
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality $16
2 liters of coca-cola $2.25
Bread for 2 people for 1 day $2.44
Housing [Edit]
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area $2,822
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area $2,195
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat $187
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area $2,119
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area $1,710
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio $107
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) $54
40” flat screen tv $274
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) $113
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) $11
Hourly rate for cleaning help $31
Clothes [Edit]
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) $45
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) $39
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) $90
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes $133
Transportation [Edit]
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new $23,273
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas $0.60
Monthly ticket public transport $141
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) $21
Personal Care [Edit]
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) $8
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) $19
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) $108
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) $7
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) $4.24
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) $4.36
4 rolls of toilet paper $4.81
Tube of toothpaste $2.08
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city $27
Entertainment [Edit]
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub $53
2 tickets to the movies $28
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) $263
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert $95
1 cocktail drink in downtown club $14
Cappuccino in expat area of the city $5.43
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) $7
Ipad wi-fi 128gb $427
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) $0.19
1 month of gym membership in business district $78
1 package of marlboro cigarettes $9
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 646 prices entered by 101 different people.
Latest price update: April 16, 2021

DC position in our World Ranking

the world
14th
out of 201
n. america
4th
out of 55
usa
3rd
out of 45

Cheapest and most expensive products in DC compared to other cities:

the world
5th
n. america
1st
n. america
4th
usa
1st
usa
3rd

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International Cost of Living Index

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