Cost of living in Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake is 117, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Chesapeake is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Chesapeake ranks as the #79 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Chesapeake ranks as the #4,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Chesapeake is $412,202.
The median income in Chesapeake is $94,189.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chesapeake has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Chesapeake has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Chesapeake ranks as #79 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Chesapeake ranks as the #111 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Chesapeake, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chesapeake. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Chesapeake is 101.
The Groceries index in Chesapeake is 102.
The Health index in Chesapeake is 97.
The Housing index in Chesapeake is 150.
The Transportation index in Chesapeake is 100.
The Utilities index in Chesapeake is 105.
| Living Expense | Chesapeake | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 117 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 150 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 100 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 105 | 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 Chesapeake is $412,202.
The Median Rent in Chesapeake is $1,523.
The Median Income in Chesapeake is $94,189.
The Home Value To Income in Chesapeake is 4.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Chesapeake is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Chesapeake | Virginia | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $412,202 | $404,962 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,523 | $1,514 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $94,189 | $90,974 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 4.4x | 4.5x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.2x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Chesapeake | Virginia | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.26 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $24.17 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $20.0 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $54.17 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Chesapeake | Virginia | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.54 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.44 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.63 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $5.27 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $12.72 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $10.64 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Chesapeake | Virginia | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $95.44 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $122.83 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $109.67 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Chesapeake | Virginia | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.27 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $60.0 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Chesapeake | Virginia | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $227.22 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $185.33 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chesapeake. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Virginia Beach, VA has a cost of living index of 116, 1.0x Chesapeake.
Norfolk, VA has a cost of living index of 103, 0.9x Chesapeake.
Newport News, VA has a cost of living index of 104, 0.9x Chesapeake.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Chesapeake | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 457,066 | 116 | 1.0x | 
| Norfolk, VA | 235,037 | 103 | 0.9x | 
| Newport News, VA | 184,774 | 104 | 0.9x | 
| Hampton, VA | 137,334 | 102 | 0.9x | 
| Elizabeth, NJ | 135,887 | 120 | 1.0x | 
| Portsmouth, VA | 97,299 | 103 | 0.9x | 
| Suffolk, VA | 96,638 | 112 | 1.0x | 
| Poquoson, VA | 12,556 | 124 | 1.1x | 
| Gloucester Point, VA | 11,159 | 108 | 0.9x | 
| Smithfield, VA | 8,729 | 115 | 1.0x |