City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 13.9% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $113,900 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Miami, FL ($108,719 → $113,356), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (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 | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,910 in Miami | $87,789 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Miami, FL | Real change, Las Vegas → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $65,735 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $79,533 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $95,326 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $113,356 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $133,953 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $58,300 | $51,181 (−21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $132,650 | $116,451 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,920 | $71,038 (−11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $91,380 | $80,221 (−22.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.