Virginia Grocery Budget Calculator
$1,394/mo for 4 in Virginia on the USDA Moderate-Cost plan ($3.82 per person per meal). Groceries taxed at a reduced 1%.
At Virginia grocery prices, USDA's Moderate-Cost food plan for a family of four costs about $1,394 a month — about $322 a week, or $3.82 per person per meal. Virginia Tax Bulletin 22-12 sets Virginia's grocery rate at 1%: about $167 a year on that basket. $16,725 a year is 18.16% of Virginia's $92,090 median household income. Official vs modeled: USDA does not publish a state-specific food-plan cost for Virginia, so the Virginia figure is StateCalc's model of USDA's national August 2026 figure at Virginia's grocery prices.
Estimate only — these are not official figures
USDA's August 2026 national plan figures × Virginia's C2ER grocery price index of 100.4; USDA publishes no Virginia figure, so the result is modeled
Do not rely on these amounts for budgeting or payment. For exact amounts, check the USDA Cost of Food at Home reports for the national plan figures.
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Pre-filled: C2ER Cost of Living Index, Grocery component (via MERIC)
Monthly Grocery Budget
Estimated • Based on your inputs
Total Monthly Food Cost
$1,352.54
Food as % of Virginia's Median Income
17.62%
Detailed Breakdown
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Calculation methodology and assumptions
Virginia inputs: grocery price index 100.4 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC), so USDA's August 2026 national plan figures are multiplied by 1.004 rather than by the overall cost-of-living index of 99. A family of 4 in Virginia: Thrifty ~$1,028, Low-Cost ~$1,130, Moderate ~$1,394, Liberal ~$1,685 a month. Virginia taxes groceries at a flat rate of 1% statewide, replacing the usual combined state + local rate. Grocery tax used here: 1% (general sales tax 5.3%). Food as a share of income divides by Virginia's $92,090 median household income, and restaurant meals default to $18. Those are modeled figures; the USDA method every state shares is explained on the grocery budget hub.
Key State Information
Virginia food cost context: grocery price index 100.4 (above the U.S. 100) | cost of living index 99 | Effective grocery tax rate: 1% | median household income $92,090.
Example Calculation
Let's build a realistic grocery budget for a family in Virginia.
Virginia's grocery price index is 100.4 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC; 100 = national average), which scales USDA's national Moderate-cost figure for a family of four to roughly $1,394/month here.
Result: Recommended monthly grocery budget in Virginia: approximately $1,394. The Thrifty plan (about $1,028/month) is achievable with meal planning and cooking from scratch. Switching from the Liberal plan (~$1,685/month) down to Moderate saves roughly $3,492/year per family — mostly by cutting convenience foods and eating out less.
Worked example: groceries for a family of four in Virginia
$1,388.20 (USDA Moderate-Cost, reference family of four, August 2026) × 1.0040 (Virginia's C2ER grocery index, 100.4 in Q2 2026) = $1,393.75 a month, $16,725.00 a year.
The 1.5% state tax on food for home consumption ended January 1, 2023; only the 1% local option tax remains, and regional and additional local rates do not apply. $16,725.00 × 1% = $167.25 a year.
| Household | Thrifty | Moderate-Cost | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $345 | $442 | $551 |
| 2 people | $632 | $811 | $1,011 |
| 3 people | $841 | $1,119 | $1,367 |
| 4 people | $1,028 | $1,394 | $1,685 |
| 5 people | $1,221 | $1,655 | $2,001 |
Virginia Tax Bulletin 22-12, read 2026-10-13 at www.tax.virginia.gov.
StateCalc Team
Editorial Team
The StateCalc team builds free financial calculators using data from official government sources including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, and state revenue departments. All formulas are validated by an automated test suite and cross-referenced against published data.
Our editorial standardsFrequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on groceries in Virginia?
On USDA's Moderate-Cost plan at Virginia prices: about $1,394 a month for a family of 4, $811 for two adults and $442 for one adult. The Thrifty to Liberal range for 4 is Thrifty ~$1,028, Low-Cost ~$1,130, Moderate ~$1,394 to Liberal ~$1,685.
What is the average meal cost in Virginia?
About $3.82 per person for a home-cooked meal: $1,394 a month ÷ 4 people ÷ 30.44 days ÷ 3 meals. Restaurant meals are separate; this page defaults them to $18.
What is the average weekly grocery bill in Virginia?
About $322 a week for a family of four and $102 for one person (the monthly figures × 12 ÷ 52).
Are groceries taxed in Virginia?
Virginia taxes groceries at a flat rate of 1% statewide, replacing the usual combined state + local rate. On the $1,394 family-of-4 basket that is about $167 a year in state grocery tax, at an effective grocery tax rate of 1%.
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