City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 4.6% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $104,600 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Buffalo, NY to Las Vegas, NV ($111,301 → $108,719), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- 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
| Buffalo, NY | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,561 in Las Vegas | $95,638 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
55 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Buffalo → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $63,046 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $76,280 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $91,427 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,719 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $128,473 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $65,040 | $62,203 (−18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $129,940 | $124,273 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $80,530 | $77,018 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $103,940 | $99,407 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.