Moving to Virginia from United Kingdom
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United Kingdom to Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United Kingdom to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 14.1% more expensive than United Kingdom overall. A £56,672 salary in United Kingdom would need to be roughly $76,940 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Richmond averages 70°F vs 60°F in London, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from United Kingdom to Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
£56,672 → $76,940
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.7% more
Groceries
pay 71.5% more
Transportation
pay 28.2% less
Housing
pay 23.0% more
Childcare
pay 30.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Virginia cost about 12% more than cities in United Kingdom.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from United Kingdom to Virginia, based on official data.
people moved from United Kingdom to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
17.673,667
United Kingdom
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United Kingdom to Virginia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
United Kingdom performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United Kingdom performs better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Virginia performs significantly better than United Kingdom across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United Kingdom performs better than Virginia across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | London | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | London | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Met Office
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Kingdom and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
United Kingdom passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than United Kingdom?
No — Virginia is on average about 3% more expensive than United Kingdom. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,235 in Virginia on a £56,672 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Virginia?
Usually fine from major cities in Virginia. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to United Kingdom?
United Kingdom performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to United Kingdom?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 60°F in London. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while London gets 22.0 in.
What language do they speak in Virginia?
Both United Kingdom and Virginia share the same official language: English.
