City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alexandria | Chesapeake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,983/mo | $1,446/mo | 37.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $339,500 | 93.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $92,703 | 22.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.9 | 98.7 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 87.6 | 94.8 | 7.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 90.0 | 100.5 | 10.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 94.8 | 2.1% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $72,920 in Chesapeake to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chesapeake, VA is about 27.1% cheaper overall than Alexandria, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Chesapeake than in Alexandria. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $58,336 in Chesapeake to keep the same standard of living.