City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 4.0% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $104,000 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Nashville, TN ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,131 in Nashville | $104,024 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Nashville, TN | Real change, Las Vegas → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $61,460 | $63,933 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $126,610 | $131,705 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $78,080 | $81,222 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $84,040 | $87,422 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.