Cost of Living: Richmond, VA vs Alexandria, VA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,181/mo in Richmond, VA versus $4,181/mo in Alexandria, VA. In the model, rent is about 19.15% of gross in Richmond, VA versus 29.59% in Alexandria, VA, so Richmond, VA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Richmond, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Alexandria, VA
$4,181/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Richmond, VA
19.15%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Alexandria, VA
29.59%
COLI tier: higher-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Richmond, VA and Alexandria, VA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Richmond, VA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Richmond, VA
  • Lower home prices: Richmond, VA
  • Higher median household income: Alexandria, VA

Cost of Living Index

Richmond, VA: 93.8 (U.S. = 100) · Alexandria, VA: 128.4 (U.S. = 100)

Richmond, VA has a lower cost-of-living index than Alexandria, VA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Richmond, VA: $1,249/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Alexandria, VA: $1,930/mo

Median rent in Alexandria, VA is $681/mo higher than in Richmond, VA.

Median Home Price

Richmond, VA: $328,100 · Alexandria, VA: $696,800

Median home price in Alexandria, VA is $368,700 higher than in Richmond, VA.

Median Household Income

Richmond, VA: $62,671 · Alexandria, VA: $113,638

Alexandria, VA has a higher median household income than Richmond, VA by $50,967.

Richmond, VA overview · Alexandria, VA overview · Popular comparisons