City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 18.0% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $118,000 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.8% moving from San Francisco, CA to Virginia Beach, VA ($133,060 → $108,019), while prices change by −15.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| San Francisco, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,715 in Virginia Beach | $118,044 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
100 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
3 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Francisco, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from San Francisco, CA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, San Francisco → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,640 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,788 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,838 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $108,019 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,646 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $63,380 | $74,816 (−26.6%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $129,090 | $152,382 (−18.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $79,450 | $93,786 (−15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $89,450 | $105,590 (−43.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.