City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 4.6% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $104,600 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,843 a year in SC and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Columbia, SC to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbia, SC | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,569 in Virginia Beach | $95,631 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$93/yr.
55 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$93/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Columbia → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $63,380 | $60,611 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $129,090 | $123,450 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $79,450 | $75,979 (+9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $89,450 | $85,542 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.