Chesapeake, VA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Chesapeake, VA Summary

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.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
117
Chesapeake's Overall Cost Of Living
1.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Chesapeake, VA?

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:

79 out of 190
In Virginia
4,212 out of 6,489
In America

Chesapeake Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

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
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Chesapeake Cost of Living Vs. VA

Chesapeake, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

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
$412,202
Median Home Value
$1,523
Median Rent
$94,189
Median Income

Chesapeake, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Chesapeake Services Costs Vs. Virginia

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

Detailed Chesapeake Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

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

Detailed Chesapeake Health Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chesapeake Virginia
Optometrist $95.44 $125.68
Doctor $122.83 $135.78
Dentist $109.67 $113.29

Detailed Chesapeake Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chesapeake Virginia
Gasoline $3.27 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.0 $59.92

Detailed Chesapeake Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Chesapeake Virginia
All Electricity $227.22 $193.99
Phone $185.33 $192.25

Chesapeake SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
6
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
8
Education
8.5
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Chesapeake

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

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