City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 12.2% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,200 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Las Vegas, NV ($112,556 → $108,719), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,228 in Las Vegas | $89,104 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Columbus → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $63,046 | −13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,280 | −13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,427 | −13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $108,719 | −13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,473 | −13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $65,040 | $57,954 (−5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,940 | $115,782 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,530 | $71,756 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $103,940 | $92,615 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.