Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 17.2% lower than in New York, NY (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 22.6% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 29.3% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 12.6% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 11.2% lower than in New York, NY | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 49.8% higher than in New York, NY | |
Restaurants | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 30.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 140.00 $ | 120.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 13.00 $ | 12.00 $ | -7.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 $ | 10.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 6.03 $ | 5.63 $ | -6.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.20 $ | 3.02 $ | -5.8 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.54 $ | 2.67 $ | +5.0 % |
Markets | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.86 $ | 4.28 $ | -26.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.58 $ | 4.04 $ | -11.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.71 $ | 3.15 $ | -15.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.33 $ | 4.26 $ | -32.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.56 $ | 7.73 $ | +2.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.15 $ | 6.96 $ | -2.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.10 $ | 8.64 $ | -5.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.38 $ | 2.75 $ | -18.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.11 $ | 0.91 $ | -18.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.47 $ | 2.36 $ | -4.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.67 $ | 2.84 $ | +6.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.68 $ | 1.54 $ | -8.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.69 $ | 1.69 $ | -0.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.25 $ | 2.59 $ | -20.3 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.54 $ | 2.51 $ | -1.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 19.99 $ | 16.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.80 $ | 2.87 $ | +2.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.67 $ | 4.58 $ | +24.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 18.00 $ | 12.50 $ | -30.6 % |
Transportation | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.90 $ | 2.50 $ | -13.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 132.00 $ | 75.00 $ | -43.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.00 $ | 4.00 $ | -19.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | 4.00 $ | +14.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 42.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -28.6 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.73 $ | 3.45 $ | -7.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,500.00 $ | 30,000.00 $ | -13.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,985.28 $ | 25,775.73 $ | -7.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 186.67 $ | 208.70 $ | +11.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 57.90 $ | 59.67 $ | +3.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 61.32 $ | 68.08 $ | +11.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 159.00 $ | 110.59 $ | -30.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 64.58 $ | 38.41 $ | -40.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 20.00 $ | 17.00 $ | -15.0 % |
Childcare | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,164.36 $ | 2,685.75 $ | -15.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 56,857.14 $ | 40,166.67 $ | -29.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.88 $ | 79.65 $ | +19.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 48.95 $ | 50.22 $ | +2.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 113.27 $ | 102.51 $ | -9.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 167.33 $ | 144.31 $ | -13.8 % |
Rent Per Month | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,992.29 $ | 2,539.00 $ | -36.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,765.47 $ | 2,085.83 $ | -24.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 8,816.67 $ | 5,909.38 $ | -33.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 5,280.00 $ | 4,200.94 $ | -20.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,668.59 $ | 700.01 $ | -58.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,197.27 $ | 571.34 $ | -52.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | New York, NY Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,132.20 $ | 5,952.95 $ | +16.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.47 | 6.48 | +0.2 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 374 | 143 |
Moving to New York, NY? Explore:
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Cities near New York, NY: | Cost of Living in Jersey City, New Jersey | 4.58 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Rutherford, New Jersey | 10.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rutherford, New Jersey | 10.22 miles |
| Cost of Living in Newark, New Jersey | 11.63 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paterson, New Jersey | 17.95 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bergen County, New Jersey | 20.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hempstead, New York | 22.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in West Caldwell, New Jersey | 23.56 miles |
| Cost of Living in Woodbridge, New Jersey | 25.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in Glen Cove, New York | 30.15 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 |