City comparison
Richmond, VA is about 100 miles (150 km) from Virginia Beach, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 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 Richmond, VA to Virginia Beach, VA takes about 11 min, covering roughly 100 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 227,171 in Richmond — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Virginia Beach covers about 245 sq mi vs 60 sq mi for Richmond.
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 | Richmond | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,227/mo | $1,568/mo | 27.8% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median home value | $308,300 | $343,700 | 11.5% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median household income | $59,606 | $87,544 | 46.9% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.7 | 90.0 | ≈ equal (Virginia Beach slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal (Richmond slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Richmond slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Richmond, you'd need $101,331 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richmond, VA is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Virginia Beach, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Virginia Beach than in Richmond. If you earn $80,000 in Richmond, you'd need about $81,065 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.