Last update: Oct 2026

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

166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index
160

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

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Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.15 $19.15

$24.82 $24.82

-22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$90.2 $90.2

7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.86 $12.86

-7.93%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$6.06 $6.06

0.33%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.97 $2.97

7.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.57 $2.57

-1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.07 $8.07

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.93 $9.93

-18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.18 $1.18

-6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.01 $4.01

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.31 $5.31

1.51%

Eggs

$5.40 $5.40

$5.53 $5.53

-2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$17.28 $17.28

-1.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.58 $15.58

-4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$18.85 $18.85

-1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.40 $5.40

9.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.35 $2.35

-3.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$6.43 $6.43

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$5.88 $5.88

-2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.83 $2.83

-2.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.76 $3.76

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.40 $2.40

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.73 $2.73

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 $13.63

$9.64 $9.64

41.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$15.74 $15.74

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.25 $2.25

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.56 $4.56

-0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.30 $2.30

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.7 $68.7

$70.7 $70.7

-2.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.91 $2.91

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.48 $1.48

-0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 $24.06

$22.07 $22.07

9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.01 $1.01

5.94%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.5K $35.5K

0.29%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.95%

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

$212 $212

$165 $165

28.76%

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

$65.6 $65.6

$66.5 $66.5

-1.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 $77.3

$78.0 $78.0

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 $68.6

$61.1 $61.1

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.20 $25.20

$11.98 $11.98

110.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.96 $17.96

$18.19 $18.19

-1.26%

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

$1,906 $1,906

$1,610 $1,610

18.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$32.7K $32.7K

7.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.8 $53.8

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$43.28 $43.28

26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$99.5 $99.5

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$124 $124

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$2,010 $2,010

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$1,795 $1,795

6.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,353 $3,353

$4,037 $4,037

-16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$2,250 $2,250

21.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,371 $5,371

$2,996 $2,996

79.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,702 $3,702

$3,103 $3,103

19.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,746 $5,746

$7,539 $7,539

-23.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.82

-1.47%

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

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56%

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1% 6.5% $125

Groceries & Markets

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1%

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7% 1.1% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4%

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3% 12.9% $46

Eating Out

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8%

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8% 17.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1%

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3% 2.8% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1%

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9% 6.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6%

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7% 0.4% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,474 in Fairfax, VA and $2,010 in Ashburn, 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: $97 in Fairfax, VA vs $90 in Ashburn, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $488, with Fairfax, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

Same time as Fairfax, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,146

43,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Fairfax, VA Ashburn, VA 25 km

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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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Fairfax, VA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

Childcare runs $1,906 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,610 in Ashburn, 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.