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Las Vegas vs Phoenix

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

Las Vegas, NV vs Phoenix, AZ at a glance — Phoenix, AZ is 9% more expensive than Las Vegas, NV overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,450/mo versus $1,400/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need

$81,551 / year

Phoenix, AZ is 9% more expensive overall

Category breakdown (Phoenix, AZ vs Las Vegas, NV)

  • Housing+10%
  • Food & groceries+9%
  • Transport+7%
  • Utilities+13%
  • Healthcare+9%
  • Goods & services+7%

◎ How Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Las Vegas, NVPhoenix, AZ

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

▤ Full comparison

Las Vegas, NVPhoenix, AZ
Cost of living
Overall cost index97106
Housing103113
Food93101
Transport99106
Utilities93105
Healthcare93101
Goods & services95102
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,400/mo$1,450/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,150/mo$1,150/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$2,500/mo$2,600/mo
Buy price / m² centre$3,500$3,800
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$1,028$945
Inexpensive meal$18$16
Monthly transit pass$65$64
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 spaces3040
Time zoneUTC-8UTC-7
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)5656
Safety index5052
Healthcare index7476
Pollution index5055
Internet speed200 Mbps200 Mbps
Walkability4242
Public transport4540
Family-friendly5862
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Health insurance$450/mo$450/mo
Life expectancy79 yr✓79 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+9 °C+13 °C
July avg+34 °C+35 °C
Sunny days / year294299
Rainfall / year110 mm200 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h1.5 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: Las Vegas vs Phoenix — in your currency

Las VegasPhoenix
1-bed rent, city centre$1,400$1,450
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,150$1,150
Inexpensive meal$18$16
Monthly transit pass$65$64
Utilities (monthly)$175$190

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

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

Good to know before you move to Phoenix

Affordable, fast-growing and sunny nearly year-round — if you can handle triple-digit summers.

Currency
US dollar ($ USD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC-7
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
52/100
Climate
❄ 13°C · ☀ 35°C · 299 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 120V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Downtown · Arcadia · Tempe

? Frequently asked questions

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

Moving from Las Vegas to Phoenix, your cost of living will be roughly 9% more expensive. Phoenix’s cost-of-living index is 106 versus 97 for Las Vegas (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Las Vegas cheaper than Phoenix?

Phoenix is about 9% more expensive than Las Vegas overall — its cost-of-living index is 106 versus 97 for Las Vegas.

Which is more expensive, Las Vegas or Phoenix?

Phoenix is more expensive than Las Vegas. Its cost-of-living index is 106 vs 97 (US = 100) — about 9% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Las Vegas or Phoenix?

Rent is cheaper in Las Vegas — about $1,400/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,450 in Phoenix.

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

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Las Vegas is worth about $81,551 in Phoenix. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Las Vegas or Phoenix?

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 Las Vegas

How we calculate these figures →

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