$40K in Virginia Beach = $40,000 in Jacksonville

Your $40K salary in Virginia Beach (COL 93) has the same purchasing power as $40,000 in Jacksonville (COL 93). Jacksonville is more expensive โ€” you'd need 0% more to maintain the same lifestyle.

$40K in Virginia Beach, VA
$2,535/mo take-home
Rent: $1,550/mo (61% of take-home)
Difficult
$40,000/yr in Jacksonville, FL
$2,728/mo take-home
Rent: $1,650/mo (60% of take-home)
Difficult

Budget breakdown โ€” $40K in both cities

What $40K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Virginia Beach
$40K
Jacksonville
$40K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,535$2,728
1BR rent$1,550$1,650
Groceries$369$365
Transport$48$50
Utilities$170$190
Internet$60$62
Left after essentials$338/month$411/month
To match your Virginia Beach purchasing power in Jacksonville, you'd need to earn $40,000/year (0% less than $40K). At that salary, you'd have $411/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $338/mo in Virginia Beach.

Frequently asked questions

What is $40K in Virginia Beach equivalent to in Jacksonville?

$40K in Virginia Beach (COL index 93) has the same purchasing power as $40,000 in Jacksonville (COL index 93). That's 0% less than your current salary.

If I move from Virginia Beach to Jacksonville keeping my $40K salary, will I be better off?

Not necessarily. Core expenses in Jacksonville are higher, so on the same $40K salary you'd have $73 less per month. You'd need to earn $40,000 to maintain the same standard of living.

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: $40K ร— (93 รท 93) = $40,000. 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