City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.3% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $112,300 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to New York, NY ($108,719 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,322 in New York | $89,030 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | New York, NY | Real change, Las Vegas → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $72,737 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $88,005 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $105,481 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $125,431 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $148,222 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | New York, NY | New York pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $96,900 | $86,270 (+32.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $166,830 | $148,529 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $105,650 | $94,060 (+16.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $119,720 | $106,587 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.