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What’s it cost to live ‘comfortably’ in DC? $80K

WASHINGTON — D.C. is one of the most expensive cities in terms of the cost of living comfortably, says GoBankingRates.com.

Their list defines living “comfortably” by a 50-30-20 rule — 50 percent of income for necessities, 30 percent for discretionary spending and 20 percent toward savings, a generous household budgeting principle.

By that measure, a person in D.C. needs to earn $80,273 a year to live comfortably — ranking third-highest in the U.S.

San Francisco is the most expensive city for comfortable living at $110,357 a year, while New York ranks second at $86,466.

The most and least expensive cities for ‘comfortable’ living, as determined by GoBankingRates.com. (GoBankingRates.com)

Based on a median income in Washington of $70,848, the median income is $9,425 below what’s needed to live well in the nation’s capital.

See GoBankingRates’ full list of comfortable costs of living by city, and the comparison with each city’s median income.

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