Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburn, VA and Fairfax, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashburn, VA: $3,317 a month against $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fairfax, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index

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Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashburn, VA and in Fairfax, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ashburn, VA and in Fairfax, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,317 in Ashburn, VA versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA.

Ashburn, VA $3,317
Fairfax, VA $3,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,512 in Ashburn, VA versus $4,787 in Fairfax, VA.

Ashburn, VA $4,512
Fairfax, VA $4,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,708 in Ashburn, VA versus $6,147 in Fairfax, VA.

Ashburn, VA $5,708
Fairfax, VA $6,147

Living in Ashburn, VA costs roughly 3% less than in Fairfax, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashburn, VA 144% above, Fairfax, VA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 $24.82

$19.15 $19.15

29.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$96.5 $96.5

-6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$11.84 $11.84

8.61%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.08 $6.08

-0.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.20 $3.20

-7.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.52 $2.52

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.85 $6.85

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$8.06 $8.06

23.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.10 $1.10

7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.07 $4.07

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$5.39 $5.39

-1.48%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$5.40 $5.40

2.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$16.98 $16.98

1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$14.95 $14.95

4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$18.63 $18.63

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$5.89 $5.89

-8.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 $2.26

3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.79 $5.79

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.73 $5.73

2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.76 $2.76

2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.74 $3.74

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.45 $2.45

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.68 $2.68

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$13.63 $13.63

-29.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$15.84 $15.84

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.63 $2.63

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.54 $4.54

0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.70 $2.70

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 $70.7

$68.7 $68.7

2.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.98 $2.98

-2.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.47 $1.47

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.07 $22.07

$24.06 $24.06

-8.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.07 $1.07

-5.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.6K $35.6K

-0.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$165 $165

$212 $212

-22.33%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$65.6 $65.6

1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$77.3 $77.3

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 $61.1

$68.6 $68.6

-11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 $11.98

$25.20 $25.20

-52.46%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$17.96 $17.96

1.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$1,906 $1,906

-15.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$35.2K $35.2K

-7.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$52.5 $52.5

2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 $43.28

$54.9 $54.9

-21.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$92.6 $92.6

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$112 $112

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$2,474 $2,474

-18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,920 $1,920

-6.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,037 $4,037

$3,353 $3,353

20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$2,733 $2,733

-17.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 $2,996

$5,371 $5,371

-44.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,103 $3,103

$3,702 $3,702

-16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,539 $7,539

$5,746 $5,746

31.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1%

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56% 7% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7%

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1% 1.1% $5.3

Eating Out

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8%

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8% 14.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3%

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4% 14.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3%

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1% 2.7% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9%

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1% 7.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7%

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6% 0.4% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,010 in Ashburn, VA and $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in Ashburn, VA vs $97 in Fairfax, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $483, with Fairfax, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Ashburn, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,511

24,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ashburn, VA vs Fairfax, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,317 in Ashburn, VA and $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, so Ashburn, VA is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Ashburn, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,010 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,610 in Ashburn, VA versus $1,906 in Fairfax, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashburn, VA – a meal for two runs $90 versus $97 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ashburn, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Ashburn, VA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fairfax, VA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.