City comparison
Columbus, OH 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 5.0% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,000 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Columbus, OH to Las Vegas, NV ($111,065 → $108,719), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,971 in Las Vegas | $95,264 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
54 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Columbus → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $63,046 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $76,280 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $91,427 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $108,719 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $128,473 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $65,040 | $61,960 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $129,940 | $123,786 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $80,530 | $76,716 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $103,940 | $99,018 (+18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.