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 | Austin | Chesapeake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,446/mo | 7.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $339,500 | 35.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $92,703 | 6.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 97.3 | 2.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 91.2 | 5.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 99.2 | 1.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 97.5 | 1.7% 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 Austin, you'd need $94,556 in Chesapeake to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chesapeake, VA is about 5.4% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Chesapeake than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $75,645 in Chesapeake to keep the same standard of living.