Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 6.3% higher than in Arlington, VA (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 8.3% higher than in Arlington, VA | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 11.6% higher than in Arlington, VA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 13.3% higher than in Arlington, VA | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 5.2% lower than in Arlington, VA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 10.5% lower than in Arlington, VA | |
Restaurants | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 87.50 $ | 100.00 $ | +14.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 11.00 $ | 12.00 $ | +9.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.00 $ | 10.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.57 $ | 5.60 $ | +0.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.90 $ | 2.90 $ | 0.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.34 $ | 2.43 $ | +3.8 % |
Markets | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.53 $ | 4.11 $ | -9.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.80 $ | 3.80 $ | 0.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.00 $ | 2.75 $ | -8.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.81 $ | 3.81 $ | 0.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 8.74 $ | 6.79 $ | -22.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.49 $ | 6.81 $ | +4.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.43 $ | 8.53 $ | -9.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.76 $ | 2.65 $ | -4.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.86 $ | 0.86 $ | 0.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.32 $ | 2.31 $ | -0.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.79 $ | 2.79 $ | 0.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.62 $ | 1.58 $ | -2.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.55 $ | 1.71 $ | +10.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.59 $ | 2.57 $ | -0.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.57 $ | 2.57 $ | 0.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.00 $ | 16.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.92 $ | 2.87 $ | +49.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.25 $ | 4.46 $ | +4.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.00 $ | 11.00 $ | -15.4 % |
Transportation | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.25 $ | 2.50 $ | +11.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 $ | 75.00 $ | -6.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.00 $ | +23.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.50 $ | 4.00 $ | +60.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 22.00 $ | 30.00 $ | +36.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.55 $ | 3.55 $ | 0.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,765.00 $ | 30,000.00 $ | -5.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,882.60 $ | 25,882.60 $ | 0.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 193.65 $ | 193.65 $ | 0.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 57.20 $ | 57.20 $ | 0.0 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 65.40 $ | 65.40 $ | 0.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 69.67 $ | 107.50 $ | +54.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 23.33 $ | 34.55 $ | +48.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.50 $ | 17.00 $ | +3.0 % |
Childcare | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,112.50 $ | 2,410.75 $ | +14.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 38,600.00 $ | 38,600.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 71.33 $ | 78.42 $ | +9.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 51.47 $ | 51.47 $ | 0.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 90.88 $ | 109.41 $ | +20.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 172.09 $ | 172.09 $ | 0.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,620.00 $ | 2,532.95 $ | -3.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,020.00 $ | 2,066.26 $ | +2.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,400.00 $ | 5,376.32 $ | +22.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,550.00 $ | 4,069.47 $ | +14.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 373.02 $ | 705.57 $ | +89.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 370.85 $ | 566.57 $ | +52.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Arlington, VA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,085.33 $ | 5,903.28 $ | -3.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.58 | 6.54 | -0.6 % |
| Last update: | January 2025 | January 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 21 | 117 |
Moving to Arlington, VA? Explore:
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Cities near Arlington, VA: | Cost of Living in Washington, District of Columbia | 4.33 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 10.90 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 20.22 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 45.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 50.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 65.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 104.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 117.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 119.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 142.62 miles |
Cities near Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |