Purchasing Power
#13
of 124 cities
#13 of 124
North America
Las Vegas
NV, United States
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Las Vegas compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Las Vegas is 16% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Las Vegas compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$89,375
-$83K (-48%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 29%
Community Insights
NewLas Vegas has emerged as a top-tier destination for remote software engineers focused on financial optimization. With no state income tax and a cost of living ranked #72, your take-home pay stretches significantly further here than in coastal hubs. However, the trade-off is a limited local tech ecosystem; if you aren't working remotely or in gaming (slot machines/casino backend), career options are sparse.
Culturally, the city is polarized. You have access to world-class entertainment and stunning outdoors (Sunshine rank #2), but you must endure brutal summers and a somewhat gritty, transient urban environment (Safety rank #96). It is a city of convenience and consumption rather than a traditional community-focused tech hub.
Resident Sentiment
The sentiment among tech transplants is largely pragmatic and positive regarding finances, but mixed on lifestyle. Many ex-Californians express relief at their increased savings rate and ability to buy homes (#21 rank in affordability). However, a common theme is the "golden handcuffs" of remote work; residents often feel they cannot leave their remote role because the local salaries don't compete. Long-term residents warn that the "novelty" of the Strip wears off quickly, and you are left with a hot, sprawling city that requires effort to love.
Rankings
Top 10%
Home Affordability
#24
of 124 cities
≈3.4 yrs to buy 80m²
Current value
Net Income
#26
of 124 cities
$89,375/yr
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Las Vegas compared to San Francisco?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Las Vegas to maintain the same standard of living.
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