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 | Chesapeake | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,446/mo | $1,227/mo | 17.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $339,500 | $308,300 | 10.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $92,703 | $59,606 | 55.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 100.4 | 2.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 101.0 | 97.7 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 89.6 | 85.2 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 107.1 | 100.2 | 6.9% higher 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 Chesapeake, you'd need $90,752 in Richmond to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richmond, VA is about 9.2% cheaper overall than Chesapeake, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% lower in Richmond than in Chesapeake. If you earn $80,000 in Chesapeake, you'd need about $72,601 in Richmond to keep the same standard of living.