City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 10.8% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $110,800 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,214 in Oklahoma City | $110,847 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
100 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Las Vegas → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $48,780 | $54,071 (−16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $122,390 | $135,666 (+4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $77,280 | $85,663 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $82,920 | $91,915 (−11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.