City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA 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 3.5% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $103,500 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,866 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Virginia Beach, VA ($110,047 → $108,019), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,454 in Virginia Beach | $96,661 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,866/yr.
58 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,866/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,640 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,788 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $90,838 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $108,019 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $127,646 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $63,380 | $61,264 (−20.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $129,090 | $124,780 (+0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $79,450 | $76,797 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $89,450 | $86,463 (+5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.