City comparison
Alexandria, VA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Virginia Beach, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Alexandria, VA to Virginia Beach, VA takes about 18 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Virginia Beach has a population of 457,900, vs 157,594 in Alexandria — about 2.9× larger by population. By land area, Virginia Beach covers about 245 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Alexandria.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,983/mo | $1,568/mo | 26.5% higher in Alexandria |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $343,700 | 90.8% higher in Alexandria |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $87,544 | 29.3% higher in Alexandria |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 96.9 | 7.9% higher in Alexandria |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 90.0 | 16.6% higher in Alexandria |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 98.8 | 2.5% higher in Alexandria |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 98.3 | 3.3% higher in Alexandria |
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 $80,164 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Virginia Beach, VA is about 19.8% cheaper overall than Alexandria, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 49% higher in Alexandria than in Virginia Beach. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $64,131 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.