Compare cities › New York vs Washington, D.C.

New York vs Washington, D.C. cost of living 2026

Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026

Washington, D.C. is 20% cheaper than New York

Living on $10,297 a month in New York feels like about $7,631 in Washington, D.C. — same standard of living, compared by feel rather than exchange rate.

Cheaper on how many of 20 items?

New York 5tie 4Washington, D.C. 11

One day's budget in New York ($467) lasts 1.2 days in Washington, D.C.

Compare on YOUR lifestyleSet your rent, eating out, coffee & taxis — see your real monthly difference · free

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Per day

$467 vs $402

Per month

$10,297 vs $7,631

Local meal

$ 20 vs $ 22

$20 vs $22

Taxi 5 km

$ 23 vs $ 14

$23 vs $14

At a glance

FoodNew York 12% cheaper

Cafés & drinksWashington, D.C. 5% cheaper

TransportWashington, D.C. 33% cheaper

StayWashington, D.C. 24% cheaper

FunWashington, D.C. 9% cheaper

Where Washington, D.C. is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (49%↓), Taxi (39%↓), Half-day tour (38%↓)
Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (29%↓), Laundry (25%↓)

By category

Foodsimilar

New York

Washington, D.C.

Cafés & drinksWashington, D.C. −7%

New York

Washington, D.C.

TransportWashington, D.C. −37%

New York

Washington, D.C.

StayWashington, D.C. −15%

New York

Washington, D.C.

FunWashington, D.C. −10%

New York

Washington, D.C.

Salary equivalence

Enter a monthly income in New York to see what gives the same standard of living in Washington, D.C.. Starts at the average New York salary.

Travel difficulty

New York

Washington, D.C.

Overall

Easy1.6

Very easy1.4

Rip-offs & haggling

Language

Getting around

Payments

Safety

Washington, D.C. is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — New York 2 vs Washington, D.C. 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›

Item by item

Item	New York	Washington, D.C.	Cheaper
Local mealper person	$ 20$20	$ 22$22	New York −9%
Street food1 item	$ 10$10	$ 14$14	New York −29%
Restaurant dinnerper person	$ 55$55	$ 50$50	Washington, D.C. −9%
Coffeeone cup	$ 6$6	$ 6$6	similar
Beerone bottle	$ 9$9	$ 8.5$8.5	Washington, D.C. −6%
Cocktail & wineone cup	$ 19$19	$ 17$17	Washington, D.C. −11%
Bottled water	$ 2$2	$ 2.3$2.3	New York −13%
Convenience store1 snack or drink	$ 3$3	$ 3$3	similar
Taxi5 km in town	$ 23$23	$ 14$14	Washington, D.C. −39%
Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop	$ 14$14	$ 9$9	Washington, D.C. −36%
Transitone ride	$ 3$3	$ 2.25$2.25	Washington, D.C. −25%
Scooter rentalper day	$ 68$68	$ 35$35	Washington, D.C. −49%
Hotel night3-star	$ 270$270	$ 230$230	Washington, D.C. −15%
Studio rent (month)	$ 3,300$3,300	$ 2,200$2,200	Washington, D.C. −33%
Laundry	$ 4.5$4.5	$ 6$6	New York −25%
SIM card1 week data	$ 30$30	$ 30$30	similar
Haircutcut	$ 42$42	$ 35$35	Washington, D.C. −17%
Massage1 hour	$ 100$100	$ 110$110	New York −9%
Half-day tourper person	$ 80$80	$ 50$50	Washington, D.C. −38%
Entry ticketTourist town	$ 30$30	$ 30$30	similar

Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.

Compare on your own lifestyle in the appSet your rent, eating out, coffee and taxis — see your real monthly difference and live traveler prices. No sign-up.

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FAQ

Which is cheaper, New York or Washington, D.C.?

Washington, D.C. is 20% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $402; a month $10,297 vs $7,631.

Which is easier to travel, New York or Washington, D.C.?

Washington, D.C. is easier: Washington, D.C. 1.4/5 vs New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).

How do monthly costs compare between New York and Washington, D.C.?

With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and Washington, D.C. about $7,631 per month.

Where do the numbers come from?

They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.

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