City comparison
Arlington, 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 Arlington, VA to Virginia Beach, VA takes about 19 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 235,845 in Arlington — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Virginia Beach covers about 245 sq mi vs 26 sq mi for Arlington.
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 | Arlington | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $1,568/mo | 42.0% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $343,700 | 142.4% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $87,544 | 56.9% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 96.9 | 7.9% higher in Arlington |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 90.0 | 16.6% higher in Arlington |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 98.8 | 2.5% higher in Arlington |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 98.3 | 3.3% higher in Arlington |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $79,692 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Virginia Beach, VA is about 20.3% cheaper overall than Arlington, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% higher in Arlington than in Virginia Beach. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $63,754 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.