Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Below the national average overall, with housing the main reason it stays affordable.
Cost of living index (US avg = 100): 89
Median 2BR rent: $1,150/mo
Housing: 68 vs 100
Groceries: 97 vs 100
Utilities: 107 vs 100
Transportation: 100 vs 100
Healthcare: 96 vs 100
Roanoke offers hot, humid summers and mild winters and an affordable place to land in Virginia. Housing is the line item that moves your budget most, anchored here to a real median 2BR rent of about $1,150/mo.