Moving to Virginia from United States
What to Expect
Considering a move from United States to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United States to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 6.8% more expensive than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $68,406 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United States and Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,406
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.3% more
Groceries
pay 13.0% more
Transportation
pay 1.5% more
Housing
pay 0.7% less
Childcare
pay 23.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5% more
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 23% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Virginia compared to United States.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Virginia performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though United States leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States 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 | Washington | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than United States?
On average Virginia is about 9% less expensive than United States, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Budget about $17,102 for 3 months in Virginia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Virginia?
From major Virginia cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in United States and Virginia are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to United States?
Virginia performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Virginia?
Both United States and Virginia share the same official language: English.
