Moving from Chicago, IL to Richmond, VA
Chicago to Richmond is a move of about 787 miles. Median rent is $1,447 a month in Richmond and $1,430 in Chicago, and the median home is $353,500 against $323,000. State income tax is up to 5.75% in Richmond and a flat 4.95% in Chicago. Property tax runs 0.72% of home value in Richmond and 1.98% in Chicago.
Moving to Richmond costs about
$170/mo
less than Chicago each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Richmond costs less overall, even though housing costs more
Housing runs about $17 a month more in Richmond, yet the move still works out roughly $170 a month cheaper once taxes and everyday costs are counted. The house is the expensive part; everything else is not.
Chicago vs Richmond at a glance
| Chicago | Richmond | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $323,000 | $353,500 |
| Median rent | $1,430/mo | $1,447/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 4.95% | Up to 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 1.98% | 0.72% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 107 | 97 |
| Utilities | 84 | 89 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Chicago vs Richmond
| Monthly | Chicago | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,430 | $1,447 | +$17 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $318 | $315 | -$3 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $96 | $78 | -$18 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goodsBiggest factor | $1,966 | $1,774 | -$192 |
| Utilities | $341 | $364 | +$23 |
| Total | -$173 | ||
Cost to move from Chicago to Richmond
$2,000 to $4,600
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $550 to $850, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Illinois and Virginia. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Richmond, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.