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

Summary of cost of living in Washington D.C.

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: $7,149
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: $4,650
  • Cost of living in Washington D.C. is more expensive than in 83% of cities in USA (8 out of 41)
  • Cost of living in Washington D.C. is more expensive than in 85% of cities in N. America (9 out of 52)
  • Cost of living in Washington D.C. is more expensive than in 93% of cities in the World (17 out of 229)
What salary will you need in Washington D.C.?
Find out with your own Salary Calculation.

List of prices in Washington D.C.
Current as of Jun 2023.

Change the currency:
Food Update prices
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district $20
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) $10
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast $6
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk $1.35
12 eggs, large $3.86
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes $6
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese $7
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples $5.22
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes $3.43
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket $3.23
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality $16
2 liters of coca-cola $2.10
Bread for 2 people for 1 day $3.27
Housing Update prices
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area $4,489
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area $2,952
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat $215
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area $2,354
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area $1,866
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio $101
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) $57
40” flat screen tv $326
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) $125
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) $12
Hourly rate for cleaning help $55
Clothes Update prices
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) $59
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) $36
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) $98
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes $134
Transportation Update prices
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new $25,761
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas $1.03
Monthly ticket public transport $111
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 8 km. (5 miles) $18
Personal Care Update prices
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) $8
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) $10
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) $106
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) $6
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) $4.16
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) $4.22
4 rolls of toilet paper $4.16
Tube of toothpaste $2.56
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city $28
Entertainment Update prices
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub $65
2 tickets to the movies $26
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) $277
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert $94
1 cocktail drink in downtown club $15
Cappuccino in expat area of the city $5.20
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) $7
Ipad wi-fi 128gb $466
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) $0.17
1 month of gym membership in business district $92
1 package of marlboro cigarettes $11
These prices are based on abundant and consistent data. They are very reliable. They are based on 133 prices entered by 32 different people.
Latest price update: June 04, 2023

DC position in our World Ranking

the world
17th
out of 229
n. america
9th
out of 52
usa
8th
out of 41

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

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

Do you live in Washington D.C.? We need your help!

What is the price of

Public transport

in Washington D.C.?

monthly ticket
$

Are you moving to Washington D.C.? Do you know how much money you will need there to maintain your current standard of living?

Find out what is the real equivalent in Washington D.C. of your current salary and improve your chances of a happy relocation.

Get a Salary Calculation for Washington D.C.

International Cost of Living Index

loading...

Prices recently added

  • Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Natal costs R$ 150 (2 minutes ago)
  • Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Lyon costs €16 (38 minutes ago)
  • 2 tickets to the movies in Bahía Blanca costs ARS $1,300 (about 3 hours ago)
  • Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) in Wellington costs NZ$18 (about 4 hours ago)
  • 500 ml beer in neighbourhood pub in Murree costs ₨5,000 (about 4 hours ago)
  • Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in expensive area in Accra costs GH₵7,000 (about 4 hours ago)

Make a different comparison:

Compare cost of living between cities:
vs