| Index | Suffolk | Virginia | National |
| Cost of living | 116 | 111 | 100 |
| Groceries | 105 | 103 | 100 |
| Health care | 106 | 103 | 100 |
| Housing | 144 | 129 | 100 |
| Transportation | 101 | 105 | 100 |
| Utilities | 103 | 104 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 100 | 103 | 100 |
| Household Items | 104 | 102 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 112 | 109 | 100 |
Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Suffolk? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Suffolk stands at 116, making it 16% higher than the national average. The cost of living directly affects the affordability of one's desired lifestyle. Knowing the cost of housing, transportation, groceries and other essentials in the new area allows people to gauge whether they can maintain their preferred standard of living.
Housing costs are a major factor in the Suffolk cost of living index, and they often eat up a big chunk of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, housing expenses for both homeownership and rentals were 43.6% higher than what's typical in an average city. That includes the prices of homes and rents, as well as mortgage rates and insurance.
Is Suffolk an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Suffolk is 49.9% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 28.9% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Suffolk has a median household income of $117,172, which is 44.1% higher than the national average.
Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.
Healthcare: Healthcare costs and insurance premiums can undergo substantial fluctuations based on the city or state of residence. Elements such as the availability of healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket costs for medical consultations, dental expenses, prescription medication charges and specialized medical care fees all contribute to variations in the cost of living. In Suffolk, healthcare costs are 5.5% higher than the national average.
Groceries: The costs associated with groceries have witnessed substantial increases over the past 2-3 years. In select markets, food prices have escalated by more than 20% during this timeframe, whereas others have seen more restrained upticks. The variances in food expenses can exert a considerable influence on the overall cost of living in a given locale. In Suffolk, the groceries index is 4.7% higher than the national average.
The Suffolk cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $141,946 | $11,829 | $3,312 | $4,259 |
| Renters | $67,316 | $5,610 | $1,571 | $2,020 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Virginia | 5.3% | 6% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Virginia | 2% | 5.75% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Benns Church, VA | 663 | 105 | 4.6% |
| Carrsville, VA | 240 | 104 | 4.3% |
| Windsor, VA | 2,848 | 103 | 3.0% |
| Suffolk, VA | 93,841 | 116 | 16.1% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Westminster, CA | 93,920 | 171 | 70.8% |
| Santa Monica, CA | 93,745 | 273 | 173.3% |
| San Leandro, CA | 93,731 | 173 | 73.2% |
| Deltona, FL | 93,968 | 104 | 4.0% |
| Santa Barbara, CA | 94,185 | 225 | 124.6% |
| Suffolk, VA | 93,841 | 116 | 16.1% |
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