City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Las Vegas, NV (100.2) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV goes as far as $100,700 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City, UT ($108,719 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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 | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,652 in Salt Lake City | $99,353 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,456/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
67 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Las Vegas → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $61,722 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $74,678 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $89,508 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $106,437 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $125,776 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $77,920 | $77,416 (+19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $129,600 | $128,761 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $82,100 | $81,569 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $85,890 | $85,334 (−17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.