City comparison
Columbia, SC 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 7.0% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $107,000 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Columbia, SC to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,996 in Las Vegas | $93,461 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
48 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Columbia → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $65,040 | $60,787 (+1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $129,940 | $121,443 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $80,530 | $75,264 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $103,940 | $97,143 (+18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.