$100K in Austin = $76,230 in Virginia Beach

Your $100K salary in Austin (COL 122) has the same purchasing power as $76,230 in Virginia Beach (COL 93). Virginia Beach is cheaper โ€” your money goes 24% further there.

$100K in Austin, TX
$6,321/mo take-home
Rent: $1,800/mo (28% of take-home)
Manageable
$76,230/yr in Virginia Beach, VA
$4,450/mo take-home
Rent: $1,550/mo (35% of take-home)
Manageable

Budget breakdown โ€” $100K in both cities

What $100K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Austin
$100K
Virginia Beach
$100K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$6,321$5,838
1BR rent$1,800$1,550
Groceries$372$369
Transport$50$48
Utilities$170$170
Internet$65$60
Left after essentials$3,864/month$3,641/month
To match your Austin purchasing power in Virginia Beach, you'd need to earn $76,230/year (24% less than $100K). At that salary, you'd have $2,253/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $3,864/mo in Austin.

Frequently asked questions

What is $100K in Austin equivalent to in Virginia Beach?

$100K in Austin (COL index 122) has the same purchasing power as $76,230 in Virginia Beach (COL index 93). That's 24% less than your current salary.

If I move from Austin to Virginia Beach keeping my $100K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $100K after moving to Virginia Beach, you'd have $-223 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Virginia Beach is cheaper than Austin.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $100K ร— (93 รท 122) = $76,230. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only