Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Virginia Beach, VA is about 42% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$28.55 $28.55

-35.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$118 $118

-23.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$15.04 $15.04

-18.75%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$6.53 $6.53

-8.12%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.96 $3.96

-29.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.01 $3.01

-28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$8.16 $8.16

-26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$9.84 $9.84

-26.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.37 $1.37

-24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.97 $4.97

-38.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$7.81 $7.81

-29.96%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.97 $5.97

-20.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$18.91 $18.91

-44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$18.04 $18.04

-46.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 $18.16

$19.05 $19.05

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$6.76 $6.76

-62.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.27 $2.27

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.83 $6.83

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$7.09 $7.09

-18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$4.22 $4.22

-45.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.65 $4.65

-3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.87 $2.87

-37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.60 $2.60

-8.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$18.77 $18.77

-49.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$20.13 $20.13

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.45 $3.45

-49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$4.02 $4.02

-45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.91 $2.91

-30.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$139 $139

-49.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.08 $3.08

48.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.12 $2.12

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$41.96 $41.96

-52.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.17 $1.17

-12.82%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K $34.5K

-21.27%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.25%

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

$208 $208

$219 $219

-5.39%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$74.2 $74.2

-19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$70.2 $70.2

-4.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.57 $25.57

$112 $112

-77.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 $35.66

$74.9 $74.9

-52.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 $9.49

$22.14 $22.14

-57.14%

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

$1,620 $1,620

$3,558 $3,558

-54.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$62.2K $62.2K

-74.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 $61.8

$75.6 $75.6

-18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.94 $47.94

$51.2 $51.2

-6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$123 $123

-4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$140 $140

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 $1,966

$4,499 $4,499

-56.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$3,078 $3,078

-49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$9,447 $9,447

-69.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$5,190 $5,190

-56.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 $2,706

$18.1K $18.1K

-85.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$6,693 $6,693

-65.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$5,220 $5,220

-16.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.86

-4.23%

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 New York, NY: 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%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 98.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 49.5% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 8.8% $30

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 37.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 14.3% $22

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 82.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 251% $112

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $4,499 in New York, NY. 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 $91 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $118 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $563 – making Virginia Beach, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

Same time as Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Virginia Beach, VA New York, NY 450 km

From you

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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 New York, NY: 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 $4,307 per month in Virginia Beach, VA and $7,412 in New York, NY. 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 $1,620 per month in Virginia Beach, VA and $3,558 in New York, NY. 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 $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA and $4,941 in New York, NY. 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.