How Much Does It Cost to Live In Reno, NV?
Reno, often called the “Biggest Little City in the World” is located in the beautiful north-west region of Nevada.
It is the second largest tourist destination in Nevada offering activities like gaming, family entertainment, outdoor activities, festivals, and museums.
Another good aspect of living in Reno is that it’s a two-hour drive from Sacramento and four hours from the Bay area.
Events happen year around.
It is beautiful whether you decide to have a beach day or hit the slopes.
The cost of living is relatively cheap compared to a lot of other cities.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
One thing Reno is known for is food! It offers all sorts of food, for all palates, tastes, and wallets!
All of the Nevada-Style Taverns are open 24/7, so you can always get food, and it’s not bad food, it’s just more “American” style or comfort food and the prices are reasonable.
MARKETS
Groceries are reasonably priced in Reno.
You’ll always find supermarkets where the cost of groceries is higher, but while some groceries will cost more than usual, you’ll definitely find some supermarkets and groceries that cost more or less the same as everywhere.
TRANSPORTATION
Reno’s public transit system is called RTC RIDE and the tickets for it may be paid on the bus by cash (exact change) or by pass.
One trip fare is 2$, but asking for a transfer allows travel on any bus in any direction for 1 1/2 hrs from the time of purchase, which makes public transport costs reasonable.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Taking into consideration basic monthly utilities like electricity, water, heating, and cooling, it all amounts to around 176$ a month, which is affordable for a normal-sized apartment of about 85m2.
The internet access is good but very expensive costing close to 72$ per month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Reno has more ski resorts within a hundred miles than anywhere else in the world, it has a kayaking course, walking trails, parks, and all sorts of outdoor activities.
Also, Lake Tahoe is only 35 miles away.
Tahoe and the Truckee area are world famous for their winter sports, so there are many outdoor options.
If you’re more of an indoor person, a gym or fitness club membership is around 33$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
There are two main shopping and dining hubs in the district: The “Riverwalk” area and the “CalAve” area.
Reno, in general, is not a great place for high-end clothing or shopping choices but you’ll always find something for every taste.
Here, you can buy quality jeans for around 37$, and running sneakers for only 80$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rents have gone through the roof in the past couple of years.
It’s pretty hard to find a room in a decent apartment or house for under 1300$ a month.
Rent for a two-bedroom apartment can average 1700$ a month.
A bigger apartment will cost you somewhere near 2600$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Reno, NV
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $18.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.66 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.99 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $4.83 |
| Eggs (12) | $5.87 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $65.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.17 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $176.87 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.09 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $72.97 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $33.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $15.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $37.50 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $31.67 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $80.00 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1603.55 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1371.67 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2625.00 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Reno, NV?
As in most countries of the world, the biggest expense for the people of Reno is rent, since it’s relatively high though not as high as it can get in America.
The second biggest expense is food and groceries – around 30% of one’s income gets spent on food.
Transportation expenses and going to restaurants are almost equally as important for the people of Reno since they spend about 13% of their salaries on restaurants and almost 10% on transportation.
Utilities have a very low percentage on this pie chart of expenses, which means that Reno has low prices for electricity!
Average Costs Breakdown
Reno, NV: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
The economy is also doing very well in Reno with the Industrial Parkway bringing lots of companies and jobs.
Reno has a high cost of living but low-paying jobs and it has always been this way.
Their average monthly net salary is nearly 3100$ which is a good salary and takes care of the basics but could still mean a bit of struggle for someone who’s renting.
The minimum wage in Reno is around 1250$, which is still not staggeringly low and allows for citizens to afford all necessities.
Reno Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Reno Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
