Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Virginia Beach, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Virginia Beach, VA and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,871
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Virginia Beach, VA $4,064
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,257 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,257
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Virginia Beach, VA is roughly 10% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Virginia Beach, VA 111% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$20.35 $20.35

-9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$84.7 $84.7

7.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$12.12 $12.12

0.83%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$5.65 $5.65

6.19%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.68 $3.68

-23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.36 $2.36

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$7.87 $7.87

-23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$8.82 $8.82

-18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.14 $1.14

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.69 $3.69

-16.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.31 $3.31

65.26%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.15 $4.15

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$12.98 $12.98

-19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$13.86 $13.86

-30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 $18.16

$16.34 $16.34

11.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.69 $4.69

-46.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.45 $1.45

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.11 $5.11

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.52 $4.52

27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.08 $3.08

-25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.38 $2.38

89.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.80 $1.80

-1.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.22 $2.22

6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$9.97 $9.97

-4.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.05 $15.05

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.91 $2.91

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.33 $3.33

-33.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 $1.22

66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$40.53 $40.53

74.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.78 $2.78

64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.65 $1.65

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$35.39 $35.39

-44.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.62%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.65%

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

$208 $208

$223 $223

-6.91%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$58.5 $58.5

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$71.2 $71.2

-6.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.57 $25.57

$53.0 $53.0

-51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 $35.66

$16.75 $16.75

112.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 $9.49

$14.06 $14.06

-32.50%

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

$1,620 $1,620

$1,459 $1,459

11.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

-24.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 $61.8

$52.5 $52.5

17.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.94 $47.94

$42.75 $42.75

12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$86.4 $86.4

35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$104 $104

9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 $1,966

$2,112 $2,112

-6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$1,230 $1,230

26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$3,863 $3,863

-25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$2,407 $2,407

-6.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 $2,706

$7,426 $7,426

-63.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$3,060 $3,060

-23.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$5,179 $5,179

-15.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.82

-3.67%

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

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.6K 54.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 20.8% $322

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 8.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 5.5% $18

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 8.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 16.3% $25

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 37.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 82.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91 in Virginia Beach, VA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $410, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

16:21 4:21 PM

1 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Virginia Beach, VA Austin, TX 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
Austin, TX

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

Virginia Beach, VA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Virginia Beach, VA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,871 per month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 43% less than in Virginia Beach, VA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.