Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Lincoln, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln, NE: $2,207 a month against $2,388 in Auckland, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Auckland outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Auckland
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Auckland Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index

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Auckland

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,388

/mo nomad

Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auckland and in Lincoln, NE

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Auckland and in Lincoln, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Auckland versus $2,207 in Lincoln, NE.

Auckland $2,388
Lincoln, NE $2,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,355 in Auckland versus $3,295 in Lincoln, NE.

Auckland $3,355
Lincoln, NE $3,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,321 in Auckland versus $4,383 in Lincoln, NE.

Auckland $4,321
Lincoln, NE $4,383

Living in Auckland is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lincoln, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auckland 77% above, Lincoln, NE 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 NZ$24.93

$20.11 $20.11

-29.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 NZ$116

$81.5 $81.5

-19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 NZ$15.68

$12.22 $12.22

-27.50%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.91

$5.63 $5.63

-40.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$2.36 $2.36

-15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.05

$1.75 $1.75

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.74

$4.88 $4.88

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 NZ$11.59

$8.97 $8.97

-26.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$0.95 $0.95

106.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$3.22 $3.22

-31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.21

$6.28 $6.28

-71.02%

Eggs

$6.14 NZ$10.86

$4.65 $4.65

32.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$15.12

$11.53 $11.53

-25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 NZ$17.21

$8.38 $8.38

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 NZ$30.54

$15.07 $15.07

14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NZ$4.90

$6.66 $6.66

-58.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.65

$2.15 $2.15

-4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.31

$5.86 $5.86

-48.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 NZ$10.24

$4.39 $4.39

31.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$3.42 $3.42

-37.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 NZ$2.75

$3.79 $3.79

-59.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.90 $1.90

3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.92

$2.67 $2.67

-59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.91 NZ$47.59

$9.94 $9.94

170.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 NZ$18.24

$17.20 $17.20

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.82

$1.80 $1.80

51.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.74

$2.52 $2.52

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NZ$4.37

$1.71 $1.71

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 NZ$218

$34.47 $34.47

257.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$4.94 $4.94

-54.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.91 $1.91

0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.31 NZ$57.1

$34.73 $34.73

-6.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.03 $1.03

80.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$35.4K $35.4K

-28.85%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.0K NZ$38.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

-14.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 NZ$316

$143 $143

25.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.64 NZ$47.12

$47.95 $47.95

-44.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.8

$65.0 $65.0

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 NZ$79.9

$54.8 $54.8

-17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NZ$31.95

$26.71 $26.71

-32.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 NZ$22.59

$15.27 $15.27

-16.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,134 NZ$2,005

$825 $825

37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 NZ$142

$48.65 $48.65

64.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 NZ$70.8

$34.76 $34.76

15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 NZ$166

$88.5 $88.5

5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$193

$116 $116

-5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 NZ$2,281

$1,064 $1,064

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NZ$2,107

$951 $951

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 NZ$3,906

$1,607 $1,607

37.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 NZ$2,934

$1,490 $1,490

11.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,466 NZ$13.2K

$1,848 $1,848

303.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,346 NZ$9,455

$1,873 $1,873

185.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,881 NZ$5,095

$3,728 $3,728

-22.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

6.37

-15.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Auckland: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Auckland

$1.2K 49.9%

Lincoln, NE

$951 43.1% 20.1% $240

Groceries & Markets

Auckland

$338 14.2%

Lincoln, NE

$405 18.3% 19.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auckland

$257 10.8%

Lincoln, NE

$256 11.6% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Auckland

$241 10.1%

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.7% 34.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Auckland

$146 6.1%

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9% 10.9% $16

Getting Around

Auckland

$145 6.1%

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5% 61.5% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Auckland

$71 3%

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9% 20.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,290 in Auckland and $1,064 in Lincoln, NE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Auckland vs $82.0 in Lincoln, NE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $405 per month, with Auckland cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Auckland

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

18 h behind Auckland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,463,000

277,348

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Auckland Lincoln, NE 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Auckland
Lincoln, NE

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Auckland vs Lincoln, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln, NE wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lincoln, NE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Lincoln, NE. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,290 in Auckland versus $1,064 in Lincoln, NE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,134 in Auckland versus $825 in Lincoln, NE. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Auckland pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,207 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,388 in Auckland, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lincoln, NE but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Lincoln, NE the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lincoln, NE delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lincoln, NE hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Lincoln, NE are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lincoln, NE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.