Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Virginia Beach, VA: $2,871 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Virginia Beach, VA and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,871
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Virginia Beach, VA $4,064
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,257 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,257
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Virginia Beach, VA costs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Virginia Beach, VA 111% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$25.30 $25.30

-27.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$101 $101

-9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$14.76 $14.76

-17.21%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$6.50 $6.50

-7.69%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.21 $3.21

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.14 $3.14

-31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$7.97 $7.97

-24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$8.13 $8.13

-11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.30 $5.30

-41.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$6.40 $6.40

-14.53%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.06 $5.06

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$18.71 $18.71

-43.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$18.72 $18.72

-48.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 $18.16

$22.88 $22.88

-20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$6.06 $6.06

-58.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.95 $1.95

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.51 $5.51

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$6.52 $6.52

-11.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.49 $3.49

-34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.29 $3.29

37.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 $2.80

-36.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.58 $2.58

-8.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$12.49 $12.49

-23.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.87 $14.87

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.19 $4.19

-58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$5.80 $5.80

-62.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.05 $3.05

-33.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$106 $106

-33.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.58 $2.58

76.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.64 $1.64

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$30.12 $30.12

-34.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 $1.41

-27.66%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$36.8K $36.8K

-26.23%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.02%

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

$208 $208

$308 $308

-32.52%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$69.2 $69.2

-13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$86.1 $86.1

-22.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.57 $25.57

$76.5 $76.5

-66.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 $35.66

$35.50 $35.50

0.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 $9.49

$18.02 $18.02

-47.34%

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

$1,620 $1,620

$2,746 $2,746

-40.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$30.6K $30.6K

-47.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 $61.8

$79.2 $79.2

-21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.94 $47.94

$54.3 $54.3

-11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$127 $127

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$159 $159

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 $1,966

$2,508 $2,508

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$1,938 $1,938

-19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$5,117 $5,117

-43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$3,542 $3,542

-36.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 $2,706

$7,374 $7,374

-63.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$5,002 $5,002

-53.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$6,470 $6,470

-32.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

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 Seattle, WA: 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%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 24.8% $386

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 45.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 38.5% $129

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 27% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 23% $35

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 43.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 152% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Virginia Beach, VA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $547 per month, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Virginia Beach, VA Seattle, WA 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Virginia Beach, VA is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Virginia Beach, VA – a meal for two runs $91 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,871 per month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Virginia Beach, VA is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Virginia Beach, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Virginia Beach, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.