Grocery Costs in Virginia
How much do groceries cost in Virginia?
A family of four in Virginia spends about $1,121 a month on groceries, $13,453 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Virginia about 4% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Virginia households, and how to come in under it. Groceries cost more in Virginia than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 4% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less.
A family of four in Virginia spends about $1,121 a month on groceries, $13,453 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Virginia about 4% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Virginia households, and how to come in under it.
Monthly grocery costs in Virginia by household
| Household | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children) | $1,121 | $13,453 |
| Family of two (2 adults) | $702 | $8,427 |
| One adult | $383 | $4,597 |
| Per person, in a family of four | $280 | $3,363 |
MIT Living Wage Calculator food estimates. MIT builds its food figures from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts them for price levels in each state, Virginia included. For Virginia, the figures cover food made and eaten at home.
How Virginia compares
Groceries cost more in Virginia than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 4% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less. Over a year, a family of four in Virginia spends about $566 more on groceries than the same family in the median state, which is real money in a Virginia family budget: roughly a month of childcare in a cheaper state, or a solid start on an emergency fund. Food is labor, land and transport priced locally, which is why the Virginia state line moves this number so much.
Virginia shopping, from the coast to the mountains
Food Lion signs are everywhere in Virginia, and most families also rotate through Walmart, Kroger or Harris Teeter depending on which is closest. The tax picture changed recently: the state portion of the grocery tax was eliminated on January 1, 2023, and what remains is a 1 percent local option tax statewide, so you will still see a small tax on food. For extra help, SNAP comes through the Virginia Department of Social Services, and WIC comes through the Virginia Department of Health. Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 an hour, above the federal rate. That gap matters at the store, because it leaves a bit more of each paycheck available for fresh food instead of only staples.
Budgeting by family size in Virginia instead? Virginia households can also start from the USDA food plan figures for a family of four and the rest of the family size tables, then run your real numbers in the grocery budget calculator. If your income is tight in Virginia, check the maximum SNAP benefits by household size too.
Frequently asked questions
How much do groceries cost per month in Virginia?
The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts food costs in Virginia at $1,121 a month for a family of four (two adults and two children), $13,453 a year. In Virginia, two adults come to $702 a month and one adult to $383 a month. The Virginia figures cover food prepared and eaten at home, not restaurants.
How does Virginia compare with other states?
Virginia ranks 33 of 50 states for a family of four, about 4% above the median state of $1,074 a month. The cheapest state in the MIT data is Texas at $948 a month and the most expensive is Hawaii at $1,319 a month; Virginia comes in at $1,121 a month.
How can I spend less than the Virginia figure?
Treat the Virginia numbers as budget benchmarks, not a floor. For a Virginia family, meal planning around store sales, cooking once and eating twice, and keeping a running pantry list routinely trim 10% or more. On Virginia's family of four figure, 10% is about $112 a month, $1,344 a year. Our grocery budget calculator helps you compare your real Virginia spend with this benchmark.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: Vermont · Washington
All states: grocery costs by state and family size · Tools: Grocery budget calculator · Family budget planner
Source: MIT Living Wage Calculator (livingwage.mit.edu), food cost estimates by state and household size, retrieved 2026-10-18. For Virginia, MIT starts from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts for state price levels. The Virginia figures are planning benchmarks for food at home, not a quote for any one store.