Moving from Des Moines to Las Vegas
Moving to Las Vegas costs you $349 a month
−$4,188 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Des Moines leftover
$2,893
a month after tax and rent
Las Vegas leftover
$2,544
−$349 vs Des Moines
In 2022-2023, 63 households moved Des Moines → Las Vegas (avg AGI $81,762). 51 went the other way. The whole move →
| Per month | Des Moines | Las Vegas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $7,344 | −$156 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $1,479 | −$285 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,865 | +$129 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,279 | +$274 |
| Getting around | $533 | $592 | +$59 |
| Groceries | $360 | $400 | +$40 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $450 | +$45 |
| Utilities | $225 | $250 | +$25 |
| Everything else | $315 | $350 | +$35 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,544 | −$349 |
To break even in Las Vegas, you'd need to earn
$94,000
Household gross, versus $90,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Des Moines does now.
The tax difference alone
+$2,865
A year, in state and local income tax. Nevada has no wage income tax.
More about Las Vegas
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Las Vegas, NV in full
No income tax, low property tax, and an economy tied to tourism.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Las Vegas on Las Vegas wages.
Las Vegas → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Las Vegas than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,279 in Las Vegas. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $349 a month lower in Las Vegas. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Las Vegas have state income tax?
Las Vegas is in Nevada, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Las Vegas?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Nevada tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.