City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 5.8% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,800 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 $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NV and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Las Vegas, NV to San Antonio, TX ($108,719 → $108,001), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- San Antonio, TX: 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 | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,513 in San Antonio | $105,806 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
87 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Las Vegas → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $62,629 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $75,776 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $90,823 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $108,001 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $127,624 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $61,720 | $65,303 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $128,430 | $135,886 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $78,650 | $83,216 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $94,370 | $99,849 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.