City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.7% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $110,700 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Urban Honolulu, HI ($108,719 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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 | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,723 in Urban Honolulu | $90,316 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Las Vegas → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $64,438 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $77,964 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $93,445 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $111,119 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $131,310 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $73,080 | $66,003 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $120,230 | $108,586 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $74,990 | $67,728 (−15.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $139,260 | $125,773 (+21.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.