City comparison
New York, NY vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 14.9% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $114,900 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- 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 −13.9% moving from New York, NY to Virginia Beach, VA ($125,431 → $108,019), while prices change by −13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (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
| New York, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,010 in Virginia Beach | $114,929 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/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 | 43% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$76/yr.
100 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$76/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, New York → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,640 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,788 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,838 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,019 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,646 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $63,380 | $72,842 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $129,090 | $148,362 (−11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $79,450 | $91,311 (−13.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $89,450 | $102,804 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.