City comparison
Boston, MA vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 8.0% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $108,000 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.8% moving from Boston, MA to Las Vegas, NV ($120,548 → $108,719), while prices change by −7.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,564 in Las Vegas | $108,034 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
94 Strong offer
Las Vegas, NV → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Boston → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $63,046 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $76,280 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $91,427 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $108,719 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $128,473 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $65,040 | $70,265 (−28.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $129,940 | $140,379 (−15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $80,530 | $87,000 (−13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $103,940 | $112,290 (+5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.