City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 8.3% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $108,300 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Kansas City, MO to Las Vegas, NV ($108,173 → $108,719), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,290 in Las Vegas | $92,344 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
45 Weak offer
Las Vegas, NV → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Kansas City → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $63,046 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $76,280 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $91,427 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $108,719 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $128,473 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $65,040 | $60,061 (−1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $129,940 | $119,992 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $80,530 | $74,365 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $103,940 | $95,983 (+15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.