What Students Pay to Live in Washington DC

What Rent Costs in Washington DC

Washington DC ranks among the most expensive college destinations in the country. Average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the city runs about $2,246 a month in 2026, according to USRentPrices .

Rent varies a lot by quadrant. Neighborhoods near Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, where Georgetown University and George Washington University sit, price above the city average, while parts of Northeast and Southeast DC, along with nearby Maryland and Virginia suburbs on the Metro system, offer more affordable options within a reasonable commute.

Howard University sits in the Shaw neighborhood, closer to the historically lower-cost Northwest corridor, though rent there has climbed as the neighborhood has developed. American University and Catholic University sit farther from the downtown core, in areas that generally run cheaper than Georgetown or Foggy Bottom.

WMATA Fares

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority runs Metrorail and Metrobus across DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Under the fare schedule that took effect February 23, 2026, Metrorail costs $2.25 to $6.75 per trip on weekdays from 5am to 9:30pm, with the exact fare set by distance traveled.

Outside those hours and on weekends, Metrorail fares cap at $2.50. Metrobus charges a flat $2.25 per ride, according to WMATA's fare page .

You can tap a contactless credit or debit card or a phone wallet directly at the faregate or farebox without buying a SmarTrip card first.

If you want a physical card, a SmarTrip costs $10 total, with $2 going to the card itself and $8 loaded as fare value, and it also gives you free bus-to-bus transfers within three hours.

Distance Drives Your Metrorail Cost

Because Metrorail prices by distance, a student commuting from a Northern Virginia or Maryland suburb into the city for class pays more per ride than one living within DC proper. Before signing a lease in a lower-rent suburb, add up what a distance-based Metrorail fare costs over a full semester of weekday trips. In some cases the transit savings from living closer to campus offset a chunk of the higher in-city rent.

A Monthly Snapshot

Splitting the $2,246 average two-bedroom between two roommates works out to about $1,123 each for rent, still among the higher per-person figures on this list. Add Metrobus at a flat $2.25 each way and a five-day school week runs about $22.50 in bus fares alone, or closer to $45 a week if a Metrorail trip factors in on the higher end of the distance-based scale. Students who live within walking or biking distance of campus, particularly around Georgetown, Foggy Bottom or the Shaw neighborhood near Howard, can cut that transit line to near zero.

Ways Students Cut Costs

• Compare a distance-based Metrorail fare against city rent before choosing a suburb over an in-DC neighborhood.

• Ride outside weekday peak hours when your schedule allows it, since Metrorail caps at $2.50 off-peak and on weekends.

• Tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet instead of buying a separate SmarTrip card if you ride occasionally.

• Look at neighborhoods outside Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, such as parts of Northeast DC or nearby Maryland and Virginia Metro stops, for rent below the city average.

• Check your school's cost-of-attendance page for on-campus housing rates, particularly at schools like Howard, American and Catholic, which sit outside the highest-rent quadrants.