City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.1% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $103,100 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Phoenix, AZ ($108,719 → $111,338), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,094 in Phoenix | $96,999 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
59 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Las Vegas → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $64,564 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $78,117 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $93,629 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $111,338 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $131,568 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $59,180 | $57,404 (−11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $131,750 | $127,796 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,820 | $78,394 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $100,830 | $97,804 (−5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.