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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Virginia — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. And generally speaking, virginia Beach (index 114 — and yes, that's adjusted for the region — , rent $1,953/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 7 cities to find wher…
#1 Ranked: Virginia Beach — cost index 114, rent $1,953/mo, income $90,685
Virginia Beach rent up 4% over the past year
4 of 7 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Virginia — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. And generally speaking, virginia Beach (index 114 — and yes, that's adjusted for the region — , rent $1,953/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 7 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Tax burden isn't just income tax. We combine three layers: state income tax (5.75% in Virginia Beach), combined state+local sales tax (5.77%), and effective property tax (0.75%). At 5.75% state income tax, the real differentiator becomes sales and property tax rates. On a $75,000 salary, the estimated take-home in #1 Virginia Beach is $53,397/year.
A closer look at Virginia Beach: the cost index of 114 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 103 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 114 (weakest). Median rent is $1,953/month — 3% above the national median — while household income sits at $90,685, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In Virginia Beach, the housing index sits at 114 — above average and worth factoring in.
This isn't what most relocation guides will tell you. Virginia Beach rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Virginia Beach has increased from $1,869 to $1,953/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And as a general rule, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | 114 | $1,953 | Details |
| 2 | Chesapeake | 117 | $2,002 | Details |
| 3 | Norfolk | 99 | $1,696 | Details |
| 4 | Newport News | 93 | $1,596 | Details |
| 5 | Alexandria | 130 | $2,223 | Details |
| 6 | Hampton | 93 | $1,587 | Details |
| 7 | Richmond | 92 | $1,574 | Details |
453,649 residents · Virginia
What does daily life actually cost in Virginia Beach? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. It lines up with what you'd expect. On the category level, Healthcare (index 103) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 114) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $90,685 — and that's before you even look at taxes — and homes at $418,508 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
253,886 residents · Virginia
Chesapeake comes in at #2. Fairly typical for a city this size. Rent is $2,002 a month. Household income is $94,189. The cost of living index is 117. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
230,930 residents · Virginia
Why Norfolk ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 99 on the cost index, residents save roughly 12% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,696/month while the median household pulls in $64,017/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 99, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $302,742 — $164,628 below the national median.
183,118 residents · Virginia
Newport News earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 93 cost index sits 18 points below the national baseline, and the $66,718 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $287,123 — $180,247 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 93, while Healthcare trails at 99.
155,230 residents · Virginia
Alexandria is one of the cheaper options here. And as far as the data shows, rent is $2,223/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 130. Income sits at $113,638. That alone makes it worth considering.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Virginia Beach | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
2Chesapeake | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
3Norfolk | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
4Newport News | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
5Alexandria | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
6Hampton | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
7Richmond | 5.75% | 5.77% | 0.75% | $63,530 |
Virginia Beach ranks #1 in Virginia for this analysis with a cost index of 114 and median income of $90,685.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Virginia Beach (ranked #1) has a cost index of 114 and rent of $1,953/mo, while Richmond (ranked #7) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,574/mo — a 22-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Virginia Beach is $1,953/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $58 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Virginia Beach is $418,508, which is 4.6× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Virginia has a 5.75% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.77%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.75%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.