City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.4% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $103,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Chicago, IL to Las Vegas, NV ($118,984 → $108,719), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,737 in Las Vegas | $103,373 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
79 Strong offer
Las Vegas, NV → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Chicago → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $63,046 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $76,280 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $91,427 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $108,719 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $128,473 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $65,040 | $67,234 (−14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $129,940 | $134,323 (−0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $80,530 | $83,246 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $103,940 | $107,446 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.