Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Washington's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Washington?
Your $100,000 in Washington has the same purchasing power as $69,784 in the average US city. You'd need $30,216 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Washington, District of Columbia has a cost-of-living index of 143, which is 43% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,817 per month. The median household earns $101,722 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $100,310 per year in Washington. Single renters typically want at least three times the $21,804 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Washington is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 43% above the national average.