Virginia Beach, VA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Virginia Beach, VA Summary

Cost of living in Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach is 116, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Virginia Beach is 1.2x higher than the national average.

  • Virginia Beach ranks as the #77 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.

  • Virginia Beach ranks as the #4,151 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Virginia Beach is $413,480.

  • The median income in Virginia Beach is $90,685.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
116
Virginia Beach's Overall Cost Of Living
1.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Virginia Beach, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Virginia Beach has an overall cost of living index of 116, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Virginia Beach has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Virginia's index of 110.

The standard of living in Virginia Beach ranks as #77 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Virginia Beach ranks as the #113 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Virginia Beach, check out:

77 out of 190
In Virginia
4,151 out of 6,489
In America

Virginia Beach Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Virginia Beach. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Virginia Beach is 101.

  • The Groceries index in Virginia Beach is 101.

  • The Health index in Virginia Beach is 97.

  • The Housing index in Virginia Beach is 151.

  • The Transportation index in Virginia Beach is 101.

  • The Utilities index in Virginia Beach is 106.

Living Expense Virginia Beach Virginia National Average
Overall 116 110 100
Services 101 101 100
Groceries 101 99 100
Health 97 98 100
Housing 151 130 100
Transportation 101 94 100
Utilities 106 104 100
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Virginia Beach Cost of Living Vs. VA

Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach is $413,480.

  • The Median Rent in Virginia Beach is $1,649.

  • The Median Income in Virginia Beach is $90,685.

  • The Home Value To Income in Virginia Beach is 4.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Virginia Beach is 0.22x.

Statistic Virginia Beach Virginia United States
Median Home Value $413,480 $404,962 $303,400
Median Rent $1,649 $1,514 $1,348
Median Income $90,685 $90,974 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.6x 4.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.2x 0.21x
$413,480
Median Home Value
$1,649
Median Rent
$90,685
Median Income

Virginia Beach, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Virginia Beach Services Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach Health Costs Vs. Virginia

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

Detailed Virginia Beach Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

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

Detailed Virginia Beach Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

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

Virginia Beach SnackAbility

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

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Virginia Beach

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Virginia Beach. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Chesapeake, VA has a cost of living index of 117, 1.0x Virginia Beach.

  • Norfolk, VA has a cost of living index of 103, 0.9x Virginia Beach.

  • Newport News, VA has a cost of living index of 104, 0.9x Virginia Beach.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia Beach
Chesapeake, VA 251,153 117 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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