Pay and tax
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.
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Washington, DC price levels by category (US average = 100)
| Category | Price level | Against the US |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.9 | 8.9% above |
| Housing | 151.1 | 51.1% above |
| Goods | 104.8 | 4.8% above |
| Utilities | 106.7 | 6.7% above |
| Other services | 102.3 | 2.3% above |
What $75,000 in Washington, DC equals in other large metros
| Metro area | Equivalent salary | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $77,548 | 3.4% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $78,237 | 4.3% |
| 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 | $78,650 | 4.9% |
| 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.
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
- Philadelphia, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Richmond, VA
- Huntington, WV
- Roanoke, VA
- Kingsport, TN
- Hagerstown, MD
- Lynchburg, VA
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Atlanta, GA
- Miami, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Boston, MA
- Riverside, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Detroit, MI
- Seattle, WA
- Minneapolis, MN
- Tampa, FL
Related calculators
Sources
- BEA: Regional price parities by metro area, 2024
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (median rent B25064, income B19013)
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.