Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between California, MD and Lincoln, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln, NE: $2,208 a month against $2,590 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index
105

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

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California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in California, MD vs $2,208 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

California, MD $2,590
Lincoln, NE $2,208

A couple spends around $3,729 per month in California, MD vs $3,239 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

California, MD $3,729
Lincoln, NE $3,239

A family of three spends $4,867 per month in California, MD vs $4,270 in Lincoln, NE, rent included.

California, MD $4,867
Lincoln, NE $4,270

California, MD costs about 17% more than Lincoln, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both California, MD and Lincoln, NE sit above the global median – California, MD by 90%, Lincoln, NE by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 $25.39

$20.26 $20.26

25.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$79.2 $79.2

-4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 $10.01

$12.17 $12.17

-17.75%

Cappuccino

$6.05 $6.05

$5.66 $5.66

6.89%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.33 $2.33

20.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.75 $1.75

39.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$5.11 $5.11

-1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$9.17 $9.17

-12.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.90 $0.90

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.22 $3.22

22.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$6.32 $6.32

-65.66%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$4.48 $4.48

-12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.42 $11.42

1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.46 $14.46

$8.43 $8.43

71.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$14.82 $14.82

-11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$7.00 $7.00

-38.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.10 $2.10

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.91 $5.91

-24.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.37 $4.37

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.37 $3.37

33.53%

Onion (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.71 $3.71

9.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.87 $1.87

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.67 $2.67

-26.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$9.19 $9.19

-4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$17.30 $17.30

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.86 $1.86

-9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.56 $2.56

86.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.23 $1.23

73.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 $82.5

$16.91 $16.91

387.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$5.06 $5.06

-41.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.90 $1.90

-21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 $22.83

$35.14 $35.14

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.99 $0.99

-13.13%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$27.6K $27.6K

18.80%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

-7.93%

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

$98.1 $98.1

$144 $144

-31.84%

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

$41.45 $41.45

$47.84 $47.84

-13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 $61.9

$65.4 $65.4

-5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.56 $39.56

$41.55 $41.55

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 $11.02

$26.15 $26.15

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$15.08 $15.08

17.24%

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

$1,937 $1,937

$834 $834

132.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$48.84 $48.84

7.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.01 $47.01

$35.07 $35.07

34.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$117 $117

-8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 $1,721

$956 $956

80.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$982 $982

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$2,164 $2,164

-16.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 $1,891

$1,451 $1,451

30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,900 $6,900

$2,484 $2,484

177.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,215 $6,215

$1,767 $1,767

251.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,967 $6,967

$3,834 $3,834

81.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.37

0.47%

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

Last update for California, MD: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

California, MD

$1.3K 50.5%

Lincoln, NE

$982 44.5% 24.9% $326

Groceries & Markets

California, MD

$404 15.6%

Lincoln, NE

$404 18.3% 0.1% $0.4

Eating Out

California, MD

$368 14.2%

Lincoln, NE

$327 14.8% 11.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

California, MD

$201 7.8%

Lincoln, NE

$257 11.6% 27.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

California, MD

$133 5.1%

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9% 2.2% $2.9

Getting Around

California, MD

$101 3.9%

Lincoln, NE

$36 1.7% 64.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

California, MD

$75 2.9%

Lincoln, NE

$72 3.3% 4.3% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,721 in California, MD versus $956 in Lincoln, NE. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in California, MD. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in California, MD versus $79 in Lincoln, NE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $404 – making California, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 California, MD

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

04:13 4:13 AM

1 h behind California, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

277,348

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

California, MD Lincoln, NE 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

California, MD
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

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

Yes – California, MD is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,886 per month in California, MD and $3,312 in Lincoln, NE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lincoln, NE, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $956 there versus $1,721 in California, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,590 in California, MD and $2,208 in Lincoln, NE. That makes Lincoln, NE about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,937 per month in California, MD and $834 in Lincoln, NE. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,590 in California, MD and $2,208 in Lincoln, NE. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lincoln, NE – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lincoln, NE. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, California, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.