City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 9.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $109,700 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $369 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Columbus, GA to Virginia Beach, VA ($112,556 → $108,019), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,681 in Virginia Beach | $91,173 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$369/yr.
41 Weak offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$369/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Columbus → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,640 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,788 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,838 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,019 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,646 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $63,380 | $57,786 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,090 | $117,696 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $79,450 | $72,437 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $89,450 | $81,554 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.