City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 16.0% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $116,000 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Virginia Beach, VA ($124,085 → $108,019), while prices change by −13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,241 in Virginia Beach | $115,953 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
100 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Los Angeles → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,640 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,788 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,838 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,019 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,646 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $63,380 | $73,491 (−27.9%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $129,090 | $149,684 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $79,450 | $92,125 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $89,450 | $103,720 (−23.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.