Cost of living in Alexandria research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Alexandria is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Alexandria is 158, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Alexandria is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Alexandria ranks as the #156 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Alexandria ranks as the #5,857 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Alexandria is $664,851.
The median income in Alexandria is $113,638.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Alexandria has an overall cost of living index of 158, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Alexandria has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Alexandria ranks as #156 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Alexandria ranks as the #34 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Alexandria, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Alexandria. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Alexandria is 108.
The Groceries index in Alexandria is 115.
The Health index in Alexandria is 107.
The Housing index in Alexandria is 274.
The Transportation index in Alexandria is 111.
The Utilities index in Alexandria is 103.
| Living Expense | Alexandria | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 158 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 274 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 111 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 103 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Alexandria is $664,851.
The Median Rent in Alexandria is $2,031.
The Median Income in Alexandria is $113,638.
The Home Value To Income in Alexandria is 5.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Alexandria is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Alexandria | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $664,851 | $404,962 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,031 | $1,514 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $113,638 | $90,974 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.9x | 4.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.08 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.34 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.51 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $47.63 | $45.56 |
| Item | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.08 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.68 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.3 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.83 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.62 | $3.7 |
| Item | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $120.12 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $135.82 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $98.77 | $113.29 |
| Item | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.34 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.7 | $59.92 |
| Item | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $213.29 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $184.83 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Alexandria. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Arlington, VA has a cost of living index of 178, 1.1x Alexandria.
Lincolnia, VA has a cost of living index of 148, 0.9x Alexandria.
Kemp Mill, MD has a cost of living index of 145, 0.9x Alexandria.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Alexandria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington, VA | 235,463 | 178 | 1.1x |
| Lincolnia, VA | 19,913 | 148 | 0.9x |
| Kemp Mill, MD | 14,437 | 145 | 0.9x |
| Colesville, MD | 14,075 | 140 | 0.9x |
| Groveton, VA | 13,563 | 145 | 0.9x |
| Huntington, VA | 13,250 | 143 | 0.9x |
| Travilah, MD | 11,128 | 224 | 1.4x |
| Lake Barcroft, VA | 10,678 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Chevy Chase, MD | 9,484 | 257 | 1.6x |
| Seven Corners, VA | 9,171 | 139 | 0.9x |