City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 5.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,400 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to St. Louis, MO ($108,719 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Las Vegas, NV | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,884 in St. Louis | $105,392 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
86 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Las Vegas → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $63,288 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $76,573 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $91,779 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $109,137 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $128,967 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $60,650 | $63,920 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $129,030 | $135,987 (+4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $78,880 | $83,133 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $83,180 | $87,665 (−15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.