City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 9.0% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,000 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Omaha, NE ($108,719 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,714 in Omaha | $109,035 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
97 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
43 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Omaha, NE | Real change, Las Vegas → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $62,339 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $75,425 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $90,402 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $107,501 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $127,033 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $103,670 | $95,700 | $104,346 (+0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $125,220 | $136,533 (+5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $77,030 | $83,990 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $84,600 | $92,243 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.