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Los Angeles vs Las Vegas

Los Angeles, CA  ·  Las Vegas, NV

⚖️

Las Vegas is 40% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.

Home Price

Los: $860,000

Las: $415,000

Monthly Rent

Los: $2,050/mo

Las: $1,068/mo

COL Index

Los: 173

Las: 103

Median Income

Los: $76,000

Las: $62,600

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Winner
🏠

Median Home Price

$860,000
$415,000
Las Vegas
🏢

Monthly Rent (Median)

$2,050/mo
$1,068/mo
Las Vegas
💰

Median Household Income

$76,000
$62,600
Los Angeles
📋

Property Tax Rate

0.73%
0.6%
Las Vegas
📊

Cost of Living Index

100 = national average

173
103
Las Vegas
🚗

Avg. Commute

32 min
25 min
Las Vegas
📈

Unemployment Rate

5.3%
5%
Las Vegas
👥

Median Age

36.4 yrs
37.7 yrs
Las Vegas

What This Means For You

💵

Buying Power

A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $59,538 in Las Vegas — based on each city's cost of living index.

🏠

Housing

Homes in Las Vegas cost 52% more (-$445,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.

🏢

Renting

Renting in Las Vegas saves you $982/month — $11,784 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,068/mo in Las Vegas.

📋

Property Taxes

On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $2,490/year in Las Vegas. That's a $3,788 annual difference.

💼

Local Earnings

Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $62,600 in Las Vegas. Las Vegas residents earn 18% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.

🚗

Daily Commute

Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 25 minutes in Las Vegas. Over a year, that's 3500 extra minutes (58 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.

Salary Equivalence

To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, here's the salary you'd need:

Salary in Los AngelesEquivalent in Las VegasDifference
$50,000$29,769-$20,231
$75,000$44,653-$30,347
$100,000$59,538-$40,462
$150,000$89,306-$60,694
$200,000$119,075-$80,925

* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.

Run the Numbers

Related Comparisons

Los Angeles vs Las Vegas: Common Questions

Is Los Angeles or Las Vegas cheaper to live in?

Based on cost of living indices, Las Vegas is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while Las Vegas scores 103 (national average = 100).

How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and Las Vegas?

The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $415,000 in Las Vegas — a difference of $445,000 (52%).

What salary do I need in Las Vegas to match my Los Angeles income?

Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $59,538 in Las Vegas in terms of purchasing power.

Which city has lower property taxes?

Las Vegas has a lower property tax rate (0.6% vs 0.73%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,490/year vs $6,278/year.

Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.