

Raleigh vs Virginia Beach
$501/mo less in Virginia Beach
RaleighVirginia BeachAbout 137 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Virginia Beach costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,236/mo in Virginia Beach. $2,737/mo in Raleigh. −$6,012 a year.
Raleigh
$2,737
left each month
Virginia Beach
$2,236
−$501 vs Raleigh
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 206 households moved Raleigh → Virginia Beach (avg AGI $85,461). 322 went the other way. The whole move →
−$501 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Raleigh | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,875 | $7,555 | −$320 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,926 | $1,914 | −$12 |
| Take-home pay | $5,949 | $5,642 | −$308 |
| Rent | $1,252 | $1,454 | +$202 |
| Getting around | $568 | $547 | −$21 |
| Groceries | $384 | $388 | +$4 |
| Healthcare | $432 | $436 | +$4 |
| Utilities | $240 | $242 | +$2 |
| Everything else | $336 | $339 | +$3 |
| Left over | $2,737 | $2,236 | −$501 |
Salary to match Raleigh
$100,000
Gross pay in Virginia Beach that leaves the same amount as $94,500 in Raleigh.
Tax difference
−$993
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.5% in Raleigh, 25.3% in Virginia Beach.
More about Virginia Beach
Raleigh, NC in full
Research Triangle salaries, low taxes, and not much to do downtown.
Virginia Beach, VA in full
State income tax topping out at 5.75%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,731 and 219 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.
The other way
Start in Virginia Beach.
Virginia Beach → Raleigh →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Virginia Beach than Raleigh?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Virginia Beach leaves about $501 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,252 in Raleigh and $1,454 in Virginia Beach.
Does Virginia Beach have state income tax?
Virginia Beach is in Virginia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Raleigh to Virginia Beach?
The paycheck is taxed in Virginia. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Raleigh and Virginia Beach changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.