City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 1.6% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $101,600 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,654 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.9% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Portland, ME ($108,719 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.1% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,639 in Portland | $98,387 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$5,654/yr.
61 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,654/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Portland, ME | Real change, Las Vegas → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $69,905 | +9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $84,579 | +9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $101,375 | +9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $120,548 | +9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $142,452 | +9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $76,770 | $75,532 (+16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $128,710 | $126,634 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $79,790 | $78,503 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $88,470 | $87,043 (−16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.