Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln, NE: $2,208 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lincoln, NE and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,208 in Lincoln, NE versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Lincoln, NE $2,208
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,239 in Lincoln, NE versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Lincoln, NE $3,239
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Lincoln, NE versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Lincoln, NE $4,270
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Lincoln, NE costs roughly 55% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln, NE 62% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$28.55 $28.55

-29.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$118 $118

-33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$15.04 $15.04

-19.08%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.53 $6.53

-13.32%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$3.96 $3.96

-41.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.01 $3.01

-41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$8.16 $8.16

-37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 $9.17

$9.84 $9.84

-6.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.37 $1.37

-34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.97 $4.97

-35.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$7.81 $7.81

-19.08%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$5.97 $5.97

-24.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$18.91 $18.91

-39.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 $8.43

$18.04 $18.04

-53.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.05 $19.05

-22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$6.76 $6.76

3.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.27 $2.27

-7.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.83 $6.83

-13.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$7.09 $7.09

-38.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.22 $4.22

-20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$4.65 $4.65

-20.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.87 $2.87

-34.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.60 $2.60

2.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$18.77 $18.77

-51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.30 $17.30

$20.13 $20.13

-14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.45 $3.45

-46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.02 $4.02

-36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.91 $2.91

-57.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.91 $16.91

$139 $139

-87.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.08 $3.08

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.12 $2.12

-10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.14 $35.14

$41.96 $41.96

-16.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.17 $1.17

-15.38%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.15%

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

$144 $144

$219 $219

-34.42%

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

$47.84 $47.84

$74.2 $74.2

-35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$70.2 $70.2

-6.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$112 $112

-62.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$74.9 $74.9

-65.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$22.14 $22.14

-31.89%

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

$834 $834

$3,558 $3,558

-76.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 $48.84

$75.6 $75.6

-35.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 $35.07

$51.2 $51.2

-31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$123 $123

-28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$140 $140

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 $956

$4,499 $4,499

-78.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$3,078 $3,078

-68.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$9,447 $9,447

-77.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$5,190 $5,190

-72.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$18.1K $18.1K

-86.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,767 $1,767

$6,693 $6,693

-73.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 $3,834

$5,220 $5,220

-26.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.86

-7.14%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 25, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln, NE

$982 44.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 213% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$404 18.3%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 39.2% $159

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$327 14.8%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 34.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$257 11.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 41.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 35.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$72 3.3%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 118% $85

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$36 1.7%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 352% $128

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Lincoln, NE and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 36% 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: $79 in Lincoln, NE vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $563 per month, with Lincoln, NE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h ahead of Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lincoln, NE New York, NY 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
New York, NY

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

Lincoln, NE vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln, NE wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in New York, NY. 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 27% 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: $956 in Lincoln, NE versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lincoln, NE – a meal for two runs $79 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,208 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Lincoln, NE is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lincoln, NE is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Lincoln, NE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.