City comparison
Albuquerque, NM vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 2.5% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $102,500 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,367 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Albuquerque, NM.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Virginia Beach, VA ($107,592 → $108,019), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albuquerque, NM | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,507 in Virginia Beach | $97,555 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,367/yr.
61 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,367/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Albuquerque → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $62,640 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $75,788 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $90,838 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $108,019 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $127,646 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $63,380 | $61,830 (−18.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $129,090 | $125,933 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $79,450 | $77,507 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $89,450 | $87,263 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.