City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 5.9% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $105,900 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.2% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Pittsburgh, PA ($108,719 → $110,047), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,468 in Pittsburgh | $105,856 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Las Vegas → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $63,815 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $77,211 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $92,543 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $110,047 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $130,042 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $76,550 | $81,033 (+24.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $124,500 | $131,791 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $76,940 | $81,446 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $82,370 | $87,194 (−16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.