City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 2.1% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $102,100 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,915 in Las Vegas | $102,129 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
Las Vegas, NV → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Cape Coral → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $65,040 | $66,425 (+9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $129,940 | $132,707 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $80,530 | $82,245 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $103,940 | $106,153 (+28.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.