Overall
Nevada feels cheaper overall
Nevada has the lower cost-of-living index, beating California by 35.1 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
California vs Nevada: Cost of Living
Nevada is cheaper overall by 35.1 cost-of-living points, but Nevada has no state income tax, but Nevada has lower median home values.
California
CA • West
138.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Nevada
NV • West
103.4
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
California
138.5
Nevada
103.4
Difference: 35.1 points — Nevada leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.8x more for a home
Nevada has the lower median home value, while buying in California costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Nevada puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Nevada than in California, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Nevada has no state income tax
Nevada gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while California still taxes income at the state level.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
California
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
138.5
Regional price parity
113.4
Regular gas price
$5.929/gal
Electricity price
30.29 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,856/mo
Median home value
$693,700
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
13.30%
State sales tax
7.25%
Property tax
0.70%
Income
Median household income
$84,097
Income after median rent
$5,152
Minimum wage
$16.90/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
Nevada
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
103.4
Regional price parity
101.2
Regular gas price
$5.005/gal
Electricity price
13.98 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,326/mo
Median home value
$381,600
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
None (0%)
State sales tax
6.85%
Property tax
0.47%
Income
Median household income
$72,281
Income after median rent
$4,697
Minimum wage
$12.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Nevada has lower median home values.
- Nevada has no state income tax.
- Nevada has the lower overall cost index.
- California has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
California vs Nevada: Cost of Living in context
Nevada has a cost of living of 103.4, compared with 138.5 in California. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
California
138.5
Nevada
103.4
Difference
35.1 points
People Also Ask
California vs Nevada Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is California's cost of living?
California's cost of living is 138.5.
Q What is Nevada's cost of living?
Nevada's cost of living is 103.4.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — California or Nevada?
Nevada is cheaper overall by 35.1 cost-of-living points, but Nevada has no state income tax, but Nevada has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: California vs Nevada
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.