City comparison
McLean, 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 30 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 McLean, 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 49,587 in McLean — about 9.2× larger by population. By land area, Virginia Beach covers about 245 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for McLean.
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 | McLean | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,319/mo | $1,568/mo | 111.7% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $1,257,900 | $343,700 | 266.0% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $87,544 | 185.6% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 96.9 | 7.6% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 90.0 | 17.3% higher in McLean |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 98.8 | 3.4% higher in McLean |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 98.3 | 3.5% higher in McLean |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in McLean, you'd need $77,502 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Virginia Beach, VA is about 22.5% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 58% higher in McLean than in Virginia Beach. If you earn $80,000 in McLean, you'd need about $62,002 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.