Living in Las Vegas isn’t cheap. Especially if you can’t resist the luring casinos and fancy nightclubs. Even without it, Las Vegas can be very pricey. Affordability of the city is one of the major criteriums when relocating. That is why you need to establish what are the Las Vegas living costs even before you start planning to move to this city. Las Vegas is a great place to live in, but it isn’t quite suitable for everyone’s pocket.
Basic Las Vegas living costs
Looking at statistic data, Las Vegas living costs are near or sometimes lower than the national average.
Part of the city that you select plays the biggest roll in the overall monthly living costs, so it isn’t easy to get the average estimation.
Prices of housing are going from reasonable low to skyrocket, depending on the neighborhood. While every city has more elite areas, here the difference in the housing prices is very drastic. Exclusivity of the neighborhood dictate the pricer services, but also higher prices of grocery and utilities.
That is why the Las Vegas living costs and can you afford them is the first question that you need to ask yourself when considering moving to this town.
Still, when you are moving from the Big Apple, everything will be much cheaper, and that is only one of the advantages that Las Vegas have compared to New York.
Cost of housing in Las Vegas
Renting costs
The housing market in Las Vegas is one of the Americas most diverse markets. Meaning that the renting price of the same features apartment can be 10 times higher in the neighborhoods like The Strip, than in the other parts such as North Las Vegas. Without exaggeration.
In Las Vegas, location is everything.
Still, let’s stick to the official average. For the one-bedroom units rent, you will need approximately $820, while two-bedroom rentals average $1,028 per month. Fancy apartments near the Strip are more than $3,000 per month.
There are many apartments for under $700 per month, but they are situated in the shady parts of town, with high crime rates. These are certainly the neighborhoods that you should avoid when moving to Las Vegas.
Realistically, calculate that you will need about $1500 for a nice two-bedroom apartment in the nice neighborhood, that isn’t so close to The Strip.
Cost of buying a house
Home prices in Las Vegas have one of the fastest growing rate in the U.S., which make this market is less affordable than the national average.
The average price of the previously owned single-family house in Las Vegas is approximately $300.000, while the prices of the new construction homes are much higher.
Buying a house in Las Vegas is very expensive.
Cost of utilities
The Sin City is located in the middle of the desert, so many think that the weather is warm during the entire year. That’s really not the case.
While in the summer the temperatures can go well above 100 degrees, it is also cold in the winter.
Contrary to the extreme temperatures in the summer and during the winter, the spring and autumn are quite pleasant.
Still, the climate of Las Vegas has its tool on the utilities charging. Expect that your air conditioning will be turned on the maximum, as well as your heating in the colder months.
All an all, you will need about $250 for monthly utility bills for a 1,000-square-foot apartment, depending on the weather conditions.
Costs of transportation
Comparing to the most American cities, driving in Las Vegas is a luxury. You will need a significant budget if you wish to own a car in this city.
While you can always move your car to Las Vegas, the high prices of insurance and gas may make you leave it in your hometown.
The car insurance premiums are twice as much in Las Vegas compared to the other towns in Nevada alone. They can be up to $100 per months.
The gas price tags are also very high.
With the average gas price $3.20 per gallon, they are 29% higher than the national average.
If driving isn’t something that you can afford when you add all of the Las Vegas costs together, public transportation is always a good option.
The one-way bus ticket costs $2, while the monthly pass is $65.
Owning a car has a great impact on Las Vegas living costs.
Cost of food
While the housing and transportation in Las Vegas is pretty pricey, the food costs are hovering around the national level.
If you are shopping for your groceries in bulk and don’t eat out, you will need approximately $400per month for healthy, filling diet.
While Las Vegas has amazing restaurants, eating out is even less affordable. The dinner for two in the moderately expensive restaurant will set you back for $65, which is much higher than the national average.
Can you afford Las Vegas living costs?
Did you add the numbers? Counted in all of the expenses above? Well, we are sorry to say that is only the basics Las Vegas living costs. The amount of money that you need to survive in this city, not to live carelessly. Of course, you can always increase your incomes, but be sure that your moving budget has enough zeros to cover the initial Las Vegas living costs, at least for one month.
This is a time to put all the numbers in writing, add them and be realistic.
If the total Las Vegas costs exceeded your incomes, then moving to this city maybe should wait until you have a bigger budget.
On the other hand, while expensive, Las Vegas is the city of opportunity. Especially in the gaming and entertainment industry. There is always a necessity for the experts in these fields. There are also plenty of opportunities for part-time and freelancing jobs. If you’ve always wanted to become croupier in Las Vegas, your dream can easily come true, because there is a high demand for that profession.
You just need to be truthful to your self and see can you afford to live in this special city. And is it worthy of giving up some leisure options for its unique ambiance?
If your answer is yes, then you only need to find the reliable Las Vegas long-distance movers and prepare yourself for this amazing adventure.