Where you live now
New YorkUnited States
$5,691
per month
Cost of living: New York vs Washington, D.C.
Choose where you live now and another city. You'll see what a normal month costs in each: rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
Household
Rent
Popular:London vs New YorkLisbon vs LondonHong Kong vs SingaporeNew York vs TokyoBerlin vs LondonDubai vs London
Washington, D.C. is 31% cheaper than New York.
Monthly cost for one person, renting in the city centre. Includes rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
City to compare
Washington, D.C.United States
$3,909
per month
Monthly costs by category
Show amounts in
| Category | New York | Washington, D.C. | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 4,300 | 2,600 | −40% |
| Groceries | 424 | 405 | −4% |
| Eating out | 398 | 366 | −8% |
| Getting around | 158 | 147 | −7% |
| Bills | 262 | 248 | −5% |
| Going out | 126 | 118 | −6% |
| Clothes | 24 | 24 | −2% |
| Total per month | 5,691 | 3,909 | −31% |
Washington, D.C. is 31% cheaper than New York for one person renting in the city centre. The biggest gap is rent (−40%); clothes is the closest (−2%). Someone spending $5,691 a month in New York would need about $3,909 in Washington, D.C. for the same lifestyle. Rent takes 67% of the monthly budget in Washington, D.C. and 76% in New York.
Washington, D.C.: no reports yet, so these numbers are starting estimates from the city's overall price level.How this is calculated
Prices
Everyday prices in Washington, D.C.
The typical price people paid recently, and how it compares with New York. "Estimated" means we don't have many reports yet.
Show amounts in
| Item | Typical price | What people paid | vs New York | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino, regularEstimated | $5.06 | −8% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurantEstimated | $22.86 | −9% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Monthly public transport passEstimated | $123 | −7% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, city centreEstimated | $2,600 | −40% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, outside the centreEstimated | $1,872 | −40% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Milk, 1 LEstimated | $1.25 | −4% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Eggs, 12Estimated | $4.76 | −5% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kgEstimated | $12.47 | −4% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Electricity, water, heating and cooling for 85 m²Estimated | $199 | −5% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps or fasterEstimated | $61.94 | −5% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Mobile plan with calls and 10 GB+ dataEstimated | $57.17 | −5% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Gym membership, monthlyEstimated | $84.58 | −6% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Cinema ticketEstimated | $16.92 | −6% vs New York | 0 reports | |
| Jeans, Levi's 501 or similarEstimated | $63.89 | −2% vs New York | 0 reports |
Most reports (10th–90th percentile)
Middle half of reports
Same item in New York
All prices in Washington, D.C.
Method
Where the numbers come from
People who live in each city share what they paid. Every price is checked before it counts.
People share prices
Anyone can add what they paid, in their own currency. No account needed. A quick automatic check keeps bots out.
We check every price
Typos, wrong currencies and impossible amounts are caught. An unusual price only counts after someone else reports something similar.
We work out the typical price
We use the middle price of recent reports. When a city has only a few reports, we estimate the rest and label it "Estimated".
No reports in the last 30 days yet. When they arrive, you'll see here how many were counted, held for a second opinion or turned down.
Rankings
Most and least expensive cities
Monthly cost for one person renting in the city centre, in US dollars. Pick a city to compare it with New York. See all 118 cities
Most expensive
Comparisons
Popular comparisons
Cities people often weigh up against each other. Monthly cost for one person, rent in the centre included.
- London vs New York$4,144 → $5,691+37%
- Lisbon vs London$2,242 → $4,144+85%
- Hong Kong vs Singapore$3,299 → $4,261+29%
- New York vs Tokyo$5,691 → $1,976−65%
- Berlin vs London$2,319 → $4,144+79%
- Dubai vs London$3,319 → $4,144+25%
- Amsterdam vs Berlin$3,303 → $2,319−30%
- Barcelona vs Madrid$2,227 → $2,151−3%
- Lisbon vs Porto$2,242 → $1,840−18%
- Melbourne vs Sydney$2,803 → $3,486+24%
- Toronto vs Vancouver$3,003 → $3,103+3%
- Beijing vs Shanghai$1,723 → $1,840+7%
- Osaka vs Tokyo$1,574 → $1,976+25%
- Bangkok vs Singapore$1,304 → $4,261+227%
- Mexico City vs New York$1,680 → $5,691+239%
- Seoul vs Tokyo$1,961 → $1,976+1%
- London vs Paris$4,144 → $2,753−34%
- Dubai vs Singapore$3,319 → $4,261+28%
- New York vs San Francisco$5,691 → $4,850−15%
- Bangkok vs Chiang Mai$1,304 → $898−31%
- Buenos Aires vs São Paulo$1,316 → $1,3210%
- London vs Sydney$4,144 → $3,486−16%
- Austin vs San Francisco$3,086 → $4,850+57%
- Hong Kong vs Taipei$3,299 → $1,424−57%
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Rent, groceries, eating out and monthly budgets for every city we cover.
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FAQ
New York vs Washington, D.C.: common questions
Is Washington, D.C. cheaper than New York?
Yes. One person renting a 1-bedroom flat in the centre spends about $3,909 a month in Washington, D.C., against $5,691 in New York: 31% less.
How much is rent in Washington, D.C. compared with New York?
A 1-bedroom flat in the centre of Washington, D.C. rents for about $2,600 a month, −40% compared with $4,300 in New York. Outside the centre it's about $1,872 against $3,096.
How much money do I need to move from New York to Washington, D.C.?
To keep the lifestyle that costs $5,691 a month in New York, plan on about $3,909 in Washington, D.C. for one person. A family of four would need about $10,663, compared with $14,598 in New York.
How much does eating out cost in Washington, D.C. vs New York?
A meal at an inexpensive restaurant is about $22.86 in Washington, D.C. and $25.00 in New York. A regular cappuccino is about $5.06 against $5.50.
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