City comparison
Urban Honolulu, HI vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 13.3% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $113,300 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,134 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Virginia Beach, VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Urban Honolulu, HI to Virginia Beach, VA ($111,119 → $108,019), while prices change by −11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.0 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,266 in Virginia Beach | $113,294 in Urban Honolulu |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,016/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $6,070 (HI) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,220 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Hawaii | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Urban Honolulu, HI MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Urban Honolulu, HI and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Urban Honolulu | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.5 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 111.6 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 187.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 102.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 111.0 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Urban Honolulu, HI → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,134/yr.
100 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,134/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Urban Honolulu, HI is in the State of Hawaii pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Urban Honolulu, HI to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Urban Honolulu → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,438 | $62,640 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,964 | $75,788 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,445 | $90,838 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,119 | $108,019 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,310 | $127,646 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Urban Honolulu dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,080 | $63,380 | $71,806 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $120,230 | $129,090 | $146,251 (+21.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,990 | $79,450 | $90,012 (+20.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,260 | $89,450 | $101,341 (−27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.