Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lincoln, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln, NE: $2,207 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
108

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Lincoln, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,207 in Lincoln, NE.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lincoln, NE $2,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,295 in Lincoln, NE.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lincoln, NE $3,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,383 in Lincoln, NE.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lincoln, NE $4,383

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lincoln, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Lincoln, NE 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$20.11 $20.11

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$81.5 $81.5

3.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.22 $12.22

0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.36 $2.36

57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.75 $1.75

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.88 $4.88

64.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.97 $8.97

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.95 $0.95

17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.22 $3.22

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$6.28 $6.28

-48.09%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.65 $4.65

-10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.53 $11.53

11.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.38 $8.38

68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.07 $15.07

7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.66 $6.66

-34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.15 $2.15

-32.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.86 $5.86

-23.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.39 $4.39

-1.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.42 $3.42

-24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.79 $3.79

-37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.90 $1.90

-6.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.67 $2.67

-16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.94 $9.94

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.20 $17.20

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.80 $1.80

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.52 $2.52

37.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.71 $1.71

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$34.47 $34.47

21.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.94 $4.94

-44.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.91 $1.91

-13.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.73 $34.73

1.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 $1.03

-7.77%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.4K $35.4K

1.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.79%

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

$229 $229

$143 $143

60.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$47.95 $47.95

23.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$65.0 $65.0

7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$54.8 $54.8

4.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.71 $26.71

-38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.27 $15.27

-6.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$825 $825

82.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.65 $48.65

8.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.76 $34.76

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$88.5 $88.5

-4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$116 $116

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,064 $1,064

79.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$951 $951

33.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,607 $1,607

128.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,490 $1,490

70.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,848 $1,848

311.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,873 $1,873

68.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,728 $3,728

37.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.37

6.59%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: 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

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lincoln, NE

$951 43.1% 25.3% $323

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lincoln, NE

$405 18.3% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lincoln, NE

$256 11.6% 28.6% $102

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.7% 8.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5% 4.9% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,064 in Lincoln, NE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $82.0 in Lincoln, NE. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

277,348

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lincoln, NE 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

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

Lincoln, NE wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lincoln, NE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,064 in Lincoln, NE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,207 in Lincoln, NE – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lincoln, NE runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,207 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lincoln, NE but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lincoln, NE the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 21% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.