City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 2.6% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $102,600 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 $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- 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 −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Pensacola, FL ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,507 in Pensacola | $102,556 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,257/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% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Las Vegas → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $50,360 | $51,647 (−20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $108,430 | $111,202 (−14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $76,410 | $78,363 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $77,890 | $79,881 (−23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.