

San Diego vs Virginia Beach
$656/mo more in Virginia Beach
San DiegoVirginia BeachAbout 2,286 miles apart, a flight.
- Virginia Beach leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,236/mo in Virginia Beach. $1,580/mo in San Diego. +$7,872 a year.
San Diego
$1,580
left each month
Virginia Beach
$2,236
+$656 vs San Diego
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 1,086 households moved San Diego → Virginia Beach (avg AGI $65,778). 923 went the other way. The whole move →
+$656 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | San Diego | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,500 | $7,556 | −$944 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,281 | $1,914 | −$367 |
| Take-home pay | $6,219 | $5,642 | −$577 |
| Rent | $2,292 | $1,454 | −$838 |
| Getting around | $650 | $547 | −$103 |
| Groceries | $468 | $388 | −$80 |
| Healthcare | $527 | $436 | −$91 |
| Utilities | $293 | $242 | −$51 |
| Everything else | $410 | $339 | −$71 |
| Left over | $1,580 | $2,236 | +$656 |
Salary to match San Diego
$78,500
Gross pay in Virginia Beach that leaves the same amount as $102,000 in San Diego.
Tax difference
+$1,045
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.8% in San Diego, 25.3% in Virginia Beach.
More about Virginia Beach
San Diego, CA in full
The best climate in the country and rents that know it.
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 → San Diego →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Virginia Beach than San Diego?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Virginia Beach leaves about $656 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,292 in San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego 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.