Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Virginia Beach, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Virginia Beach, VA: $2,871 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
Learn more

Virginia Beach, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Virginia Beach, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Virginia Beach, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Virginia Beach, VA $2,871

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,064 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Virginia Beach, VA $4,064

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,257 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Virginia Beach, VA $5,257

New York, NY costs about 72% more than Virginia Beach, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Virginia Beach, VA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Virginia Beach, VA by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$18.35 $18.35

55.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$90.9 $90.9

30.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.22 $12.22

23.08%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.00 $6.00

8.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.81 $2.81

40.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.16 $2.16

39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.02 $6.02

35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.19 $7.19

36.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.08 $3.08

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.47 $5.47

42.78%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.74 $4.74

25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.49 $10.49

80.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.62 $9.62

87.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$18.16 $18.16

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.52 $2.52

168.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.61 $1.61

40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.13 $5.13

33.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.77 $5.77

22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.28 $2.28

85.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.51 $4.51

3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.78 $1.78

61.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.37 $2.37

9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.57 $9.57

96.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.18 $12.18

65.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.75 $1.75

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.20 $2.20

82.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.03 $2.03

43.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$70.8 $70.8

96.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.56 $4.56

-32.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.32 $1.32

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$19.82 $19.82

111.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

27.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$208 $208

5.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$59.8 $59.8

24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$66.9 $66.9

4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$25.57 $25.57

337.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$35.66 $35.66

109.93%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$9.49 $9.49

133.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,558 $3,558

$1,620 $1,620

119.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$16.1K $16.1K

285.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.8 $61.8

22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$47.94 $47.94

6.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$117 $117

4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$114 $114

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,966 $1,966

128.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,553 $1,553

98.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,867 $2,867

229.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,246 $2,246

131.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,706 $2,706

569.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,334 $2,334

186.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,353 $4,353

19.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.57

4.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.6K 54.1% 49.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1% 33.1% $186

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1% 27.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6% 8.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3% 12.5% $22

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1% 45.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6% 71.5% $112

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $91 in Virginia Beach, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $377 – making Virginia Beach, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

459,470

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Virginia Beach, VA 450 km

From you

New York, NY
Virginia Beach, VA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Virginia Beach, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 72% more than Virginia Beach, VA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,307 in Virginia Beach, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Virginia Beach, VA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,966 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,620 in Virginia Beach, VA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Virginia Beach, VA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Virginia Beach, VA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.