City comparison
Suffolk, VA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Virginia Beach, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 43 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 Suffolk, VA to Virginia Beach, VA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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 94,856 in Suffolk — about 4.8× larger by population. By land area, Suffolk covers about 400 sq mi vs 245 sq mi for Virginia Beach.
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 | Suffolk | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,376/mo | $1,568/mo | 14.0% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median home value | $314,400 | $343,700 | 9.3% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median household income | $87,758 | $87,544 | 0.2% higher in Suffolk |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.0 | 90.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Suffolk, you'd need $100,579 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Suffolk, VA is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Virginia Beach, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Suffolk, you'd need about $80,463 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.