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Boston vs Las Vegas

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Boston, MA vs Las Vegas, NV at a glance — Las Vegas, NV is 13% cheaper than Boston, MA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,400/mo versus $3,000/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Las Vegas, NV, you'd need

$65,474 / year

Las Vegas, NV is 13% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Las Vegas, NV vs Boston, MA)

  • Housing-32%
  • Food & groceries+3%
  • Transport+9%
  • Utilities-2%
  • Healthcare-5%
  • Goods & services-1%

◎ How Boston, MA and Las Vegas, NV compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Boston, MALas Vegas, NV

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Boston, MALas Vegas, NV
Cost of living
Overall cost index11197
Housing152103
Food9093
Transport9199
Utilities9593
Healthcare9893
Goods & services9695
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$3,000/mo$1,400/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$2,300/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$5,500/mo$2,500/mo
Buy price / m² centre$11,000$3,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$897$1,028
Inexpensive meal$22$18
Monthly transit pass$90$65
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)37%37%
VAT / sales tax0%0%
Social security (employee)7.7%7.7%
Corporate tax21%21%
Capital gains20%20%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$4,300/mo$4,300/mo
Minimum wage$1,257/mo✓$1,257/mo✓
GDP per capita$90,027✓$90,027✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoNo
English proficiencyNativeNative
Coworking spaces8030
Time zoneUTC-5UTC-8
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7356
Safety index6250
Healthcare index8574
Pollution index3550
Internet speed200 Mbps200 Mbps
Walkability8342
Public transport7545
Family-friendly6558
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$460/mo$450/mo
Life expectancy79 yr✓79 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg-1 °C+9 °C
July avg+23 °C+34 °C
Sunny days / year200294
Rainfall / year1,100 mm110 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Boston vs Las Vegas — in your currency

BostonLas Vegas
1-bed rent, city centre$3,000$1,400
1-bed rent, outside centre$2,300$1,150
Inexpensive meal$22$18
Monthly transit pass$90$65
Utilities (monthly)$200$175

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Boston

Historic, walkable and a global university and biotech hub — winters are long and rents are steep.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-5
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
62/100
Climate
❄ -1°C · ☀ 23°C · 200 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Back Bay · Cambridge · South End

Good to know before you move to Las Vegas

No state income tax, cheap housing and 24/7 entertainment in the desert — brutally hot summers.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-8
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
50/100
Climate
❄ 9°C · ☀ 34°C · 294 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Summerlin · Downtown · Henderson

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Boston to Las Vegas: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Boston to Las Vegas, your cost of living will be roughly 13% cheaper. Las Vegas’s cost-of-living index is 97 versus 111 for Boston (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Boston cheaper than Las Vegas?

Las Vegas is about 13% cheaper than Boston overall — its cost-of-living index is 97 versus 111 for Boston.

Which is more expensive, Boston or Las Vegas?

Boston is more expensive than Las Vegas. Its cost-of-living index is 111 vs 97 (US = 100) — about 14% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Boston or Las Vegas?

Rent is cheaper in Las Vegas — about $1,400/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $3,000 in Boston.

How much do you need to earn in Las Vegas to live like in Boston?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Boston is worth about $65,474 in Las Vegas. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Boston or Las Vegas?

Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.

◷ More comparisons from Boston

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.