Cost Of Living
What is the cost of living in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA? The cost of living for expatriates in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA as at January 2023 is very high in comparison to other places in the world, with an overall Cost of Living Index (COLI), for all 13 basket groups, of 90.05 (New York =100). We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA is as follows:1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: Cost is high for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$950. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$16.97, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$2.61, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$4.38 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$15.68.2) Clothing: Cost is high for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$990. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$57, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$82, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$122 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$38.3) Communication: Cost is average for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$214. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$64, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$0.10 per minute.4) Education: Cost is very high for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30,000 in New York costs USD$37200. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$24,155 for Primary School, and USD$26,880 for High School.5) Furniture & Appliances: Cost is high for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2,500 in New York costs USD$2325. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$735, and USD$631 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.6) Groceries: Cost is high for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$880. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$7.60, 1 kg oranges USD$7.35, 1 head lettuce USD$3.12, 1 kg potatos USD$3.06, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$15.29, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$15.90, 1 dozen large eggs USD$3.51, 500g loaf white bread USD$4.31, 1 L full cream milk USD$1.25, and 1.5 L water USD$2.04.7) Healthcare: Cost is high for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$880. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$71, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$2,194.8) Household Accommodation: Cost is very high for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5,000 in New York costs USD$4150. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$6,417 in a central location, and USD$4,334 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.9) Miscellaneous: Cost is average for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$385. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$7.48, while an international newspaper is USD$2.30.10) Personal Care: Cost is high for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$415. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$33, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$167.11) Recreation & Culture: Cost is high for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$385. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$19.60, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$115 per month.12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Cost is very high for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$940. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$6.06, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$2.92, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$11.11, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$104.53.13) Transport: Cost is high for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1,000 in New York costs USD$970. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$0.75, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$23,116.
How does the cost of living in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA compare? Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA is 23.9% more expensive than Houston TX for groceries, 183.2% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and 41.2% more expensive for transport costs than Dubai.
What is the quality of life / hardship in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA? Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA is ranked as a minimal hardship location.The hardship premium for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA for an expat from Perth, is for example 0%, i.e. host location (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA) premium of 10% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.
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