City comparison
Columbus, OH 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 2.6% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $102,600 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,968 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Columbus, OH to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,065 → $108,019), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: 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
| Columbus, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,589 in Virginia Beach | $97,476 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$2,968/yr.
61 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,968/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Columbus → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $62,640 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $75,788 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $90,838 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $108,019 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $127,646 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $63,380 | $61,780 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $129,090 | $125,832 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $79,450 | $77,445 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $89,450 | $87,192 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.