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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Nevada — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Las Vegas (index 99 — for better or worse — , rent $1,695/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 5 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Nevada — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Las Vegas (index 99 — for better or worse — , rent $1,695/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 5 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Las Vegas comes in at #1. Rent is $1,695 a month. Household income is $70,723. The cost of living index is 99. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
Rent data is sourced from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which tracks the median rent across all active listings — not just new leases. This gives a more representative and stable signal than asking prices alone. Las Vegas: $1,695/mo, Henderson: $1,772/mo, North Las Vegas: $1,819/mo. The cheapest city here is $200 under the national median — that's $2,400/year in savings on rent alone.
And there's one more thing: Across Nevada, the average cost of living index is 106 — 5 points below the national median. And from what we can tell, known for no income tax and Vegas-fueled growth, the state offers 5 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,817/month. That's $78 less than the national average of $1,895. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas — cost index 99, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
4 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
660,929 residents · Nevada
Here's Las Vegas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 99. Rent: $1,695/month. Income: $70,723/year. Home price: $422,842. Population: 660,929. The strongest category is Housing at 99; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,400 per year vs. the national median. This is quietly one of the better values out there. Below the radar, but not for long.
337,305 residents · Nevada
Henderson earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 103 cost index sits 8 points below the national baseline, and the $88,654 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $483,159 — $15,789 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 101, while Housing trails at 103.
284,771 residents · Nevada
Dive into North Las Vegas's numbers: cost index 106 (5 points below national average), rent $1,819/month, income $76,772, and a home price of $404,089. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 106. With 284,771 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
274,915 residents · Nevada
Why Reno ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 107 on the cost index, residents save roughly 4% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,830/month while the median household pulls in $78,448/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 101, though Housing (107) lags behind. Home prices average $559,591 — $92,221 above the national median.
110,323 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Sparks: the cost index of 115 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 103 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 115 (weakest). Median rent is $1,967/month — 4% above the national median — while household income sits at $86,979, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (we double-checked this one).
Las Vegas ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 99 and median income of $70,723.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Las Vegas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Sparks (ranked #5) has a cost index of 115 and rent of $1,967/mo — a 16-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Las Vegas is $1,695/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $200 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Las Vegas is $422,842, which is 6.0× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Nevada has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.48%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.