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 | Columbus | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,161/mo | $1,188/mo | 2.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $212,500 | $254,200 | 16.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,994 | $60,998 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 97.3 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 94.4 | 91.2 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.3 | 99.2 | 0.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.0 | 97.5 | 1.6% 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 Columbus, you'd need $104,280 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbus, OH is about 4.1% cheaper overall than Norfolk, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Columbus than in Norfolk. If you earn $80,000 in Columbus, you'd need about $83,424 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.