City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 2.0% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $102,000 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Provo, UT ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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 | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,021 in Provo | $102,019 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
75 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Provo, UT | Real change, Las Vegas → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $62,930 | $64,200 (−1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $131,210 | $133,859 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $75,700 | $77,228 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $81,780 | $83,431 (−19.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.