City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 2.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $102,200 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Buffalo, NY to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,301 → $108,019), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,188 in Virginia Beach | $97,859 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$76/yr.
62 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$76/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Buffalo → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,640 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,788 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,838 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,019 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $127,646 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $63,380 | $62,023 (−18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $129,090 | $126,326 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $79,450 | $77,749 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $89,450 | $87,535 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.