City comparison
Tampa, FL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tampa, FL are 3.0% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $103,000 in Tampa, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Tampa, FL to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Tampa, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,077 in Virginia Beach | $103,011 in Tampa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,696/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,940 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tampa | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 88.5 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 97.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tampa, FL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
78 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Tampa, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tampa, FL 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 Tampa, FL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tampa, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Tampa → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tampa, FL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Tampa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,120 | $63,380 | $65,288 (+8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,450 | $129,090 | $132,977 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,990 | $79,450 | $81,842 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,470 | $89,450 | $92,143 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.