City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 8.2% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $108,200 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to New Orleans, LA ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,398 in New Orleans | $108,227 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
94 Strong offer
New Orleans, LA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; New Orleans, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Las Vegas → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $60,350 | $65,315 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $106,950 | $115,749 (−10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $77,940 | $84,352 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $81,850 | $88,584 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.