City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 12.4% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $112,400 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 23% in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.9% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Reno, NV ($124,085 → $106,855), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,947 in Reno | $112,426 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Reno, NV → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Reno, NV | Real change, Los Angeles → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,965 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,972 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,859 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,855 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,271 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $62,430 | $70,188 (−31.1%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $125,710 | $141,331 (−12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $82,370 | $92,605 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $107,520 | $120,880 (−10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.