Living Cost Compare
Austin

Texas

$1,650/mo est.

vs
Virginia Beach

Virginia

$1,540/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,650 in Austin, TX versus $1,540 in Virginia Beach, VA. Overall, Virginia Beach, VA is roughly 7% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Austin, TX, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $91,461 in Austin, TX and $90,685 in Virginia Beach, VA — about 1% higher in Austin, TX. Texas has no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax; Virginia has a top state income tax rate of 5.75% and a 5.3% state sales tax.

Austin, TX
Virginia Beach, VA

Rent

Studio
$1,348
$1,496
+11% in Virginia Beach, VA
1 Bedroom
$1,457
$1,357
+7% in Austin, TX
2 Bedroom
$1,776
$1,559
+12% in Austin, TX
3 Bedroom
$2,127
$1,857
+13% in Austin, TX

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$512,700
$366,300
+29% in Austin, TX

Income

Median Household Income
$91,461
$90,685
+1% in Austin, TX
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$56,950
$49,430
+13% in Austin, TX

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
34.5 yr
37.4 yr
+2.9 yr in Virginia Beach, VA
Homeownership
44.4%
64.9%
+20.5 pp in Virginia Beach, VA
Bachelor's+ (25+)
58.2%
40.4%
+17.8 pp in Austin, TX
Avg Commute
24.0 min
23.2 min
+0.8 min in Austin, TX

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
475.9
96.7
+80% in Austin, TX
Property Crime
3,290.2
1,664.3
+49% in Austin, TX

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
67.2°F
59.9°F
+7.3°F in Austin, TX
Annual Precipitation
34.9 in
44.3 in
+9.4 in in Virginia Beach, VA

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$3.96/gal
$4.30/gal
+9% in Virginia Beach, VA

Area: Texas vs East Coast (PADD 1).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)
$1.25
$2.00
+60% in Virginia Beach, VA

Adult base one-way fare — CapMetro vs HRT (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
16.4
17.1
+4% in Virginia Beach, VA
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$24.61
$18.75
+24% in Austin, TX

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.16
$4.16
about equal
Bread (lb)
$1.73
$1.73
about equal
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$2.19
about equal
Ground Beef (lb)
$6.56
$6.56
about equal
Chicken (lb)
$1.90
$1.90
about equal
Bananas (lb)
$0.61
$0.61
about equal

Average prices — South vs South (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (TX / VA)
6.25%
5.3%
+1.0 pp in TX
Income Tax (top rate)
None
5.75%
+5.8 pp in VA

Austin vs Virginia Beach — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Austin or Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach, VA is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,540 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 7% below Austin, TX's $1,650, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Austin than in Virginia Beach?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $58,000 a year in Austin versus $54,000 in Virginia Beach.
Which has lower taxes, Austin or Virginia Beach?
Austin is taxed under Texas's rules (no state income tax and a 6.25% state sales tax); Virginia Beach under Virginia's (a top state income tax rate of 5.75% and a 5.3% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).