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Washington, DC Cost of Living Calculator

Prices in the Washington, DC area are 8.9% above the US average, and housing 51.1% above (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.

Prices in an average US city are 8.2% lower than in Washington, DC, so $75,000 in Washington, DC buys what $68,871 buys in an average US city.

The same living standard in an average US city
$68,871
Prices overall
-8.2%
Housing costs
-33.8%

Washington, DC price levels by category (US average = 100)

CategoryPrice levelAgainst the US
All items108.98.9% above
Housing151.151.1% above
Goods104.84.8% above
Utilities106.76.7% above
Other services102.32.3% above

What $75,000 in Washington, DC equals in other large metros

Metro areaEquivalent salaryPrices
New York, NY$77,5483.4%
Los Angeles, CA$78,2374.3%
Chicago, IL$71,350−4.9%
Dallas, TX$71,006−5.3%
Houston, TX$67,906−9.5%
Philadelphia, PA$70,661−5.8%
Atlanta, GA$68,939−8.1%
Miami, FL$78,6504.9%
Phoenix, AZ$71,143−5.1%
Boston, MA$74,587−0.6%

How this calculator works

BEA regional price parities for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.

What it assumes

  • Before tax, and averaged across the whole metro area.

Questions people ask

Is Washington expensive to live in?

Overall prices are 8.9% above the US average; housing is 51.1% above.

What salary do I need in Washington, DC?

To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $81,675. The area's median household income is $126,684.

How much is rent in Washington, DC?

The median gross rent (including utilities) is $2,027 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

How does Washington, DC compare with New York?

New York prices are 3.4% relative to Washington, DC: $75,000 here equals $77,548 there.

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Cost of Living CalculatorWhat salary in another city gives you the same standard of living, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2024 price levels for 193 metro areas.
  • Washington, DC Rent Affordability CalculatorThe median rent in the Washington, DC area is $2,027 a month including utilities, which takes 19% of the median household income ($126,684). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $81,080 a year.
  • Paycheck CalculatorWhat you take home from each paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax, with 2026 tax rates for every state.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.