Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Winnipeg

For one person, living is cheaper in Winnipeg: $2,056 a month against $2,207 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Lincoln, NE despite lower rent and utilities.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Winnipeg
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Winnipeg Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,207

/mo nomad

Winnipeg

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Winnipeg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,207 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,056 in Winnipeg.

Lincoln, NE $2,207
Winnipeg $2,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,295 in Lincoln, NE versus $3,021 in Winnipeg.

Lincoln, NE $3,295
Winnipeg $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Lincoln, NE versus $3,985 in Winnipeg.

Lincoln, NE $4,383
Winnipeg $3,985

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 7% more expensive than in Winnipeg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln, NE 63% above, Winnipeg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$14.07 CA$19.89

42.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$61.9 CA$87.5

31.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$10.56 CA$14.93

15.72%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.64 CA$5.14

54.67%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 CA$3.03

10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.83 CA$2.59

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.75 CA$8.14

-15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 $8.97

$5.95 CA$8.41

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.39 CA$1.97

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.18 CA$3.08

47.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$3.18 CA$4.50

97.48%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$3.50 CA$4.95

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$9.68 CA$13.69

19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 $8.38

$10.58 CA$14.96

-20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.58 CA$22.03

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.94 CA$5.57

69.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.33 CA$1.88

61.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.44 CA$4.86

70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.16 CA$4.47

38.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.24 CA$3.17

52.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.62 CA$3.71

44.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.50 CA$3.54

-24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.26 CA$1.78

111.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.54 CA$20.55

-31.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 $17.20

$11.67 CA$16.50

47.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.79 CA$3.95

-35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.46 CA$4.90

-27.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.39 CA$3.38

-28.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.47 $34.47

$84.3 CA$119

-59.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.83 CA$4.00

74.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.29 CA$1.83

48.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.73 $34.73

$24.27 CA$34.31

43.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.13 CA$1.59

-8.85%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$27.5K CA$38.9K

28.78%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

30.31%

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

$143 $143

$158 CA$223

-9.41%

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

$47.95 $47.95

$32.96 CA$46.59

45.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$48.28 CA$68.3

34.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 $54.8

$41.35 CA$58.5

32.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.71 $26.71

$29.48 CA$41.68

-9.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$10.72 CA$15.15

42.44%

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

$825 $825

$967 CA$1,368

-14.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K CA$25.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.65 $48.65

$42.54 CA$60.1

14.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 $34.76

$41.52 CA$58.7

-16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$69.2 CA$97.8

27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$88.7 CA$125

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 $1,064

$945 CA$1,336

12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 $951

$968 CA$1,369

-1.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 $1,607

$1,573 CA$2,224

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 $1,490

$1,552 CA$2,194

-3.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 $1,848

$2,310 CA$3,265

-19.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,873 $1,873

$2,383 CA$3,368

-21.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 $3,728

$2,490 CA$3,520

49.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

4.45

43.15%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 11, 2026

Last update for Winnipeg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln, NE

$951 43.1%

Winnipeg

$968 47.1% 1.8% $17

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$405 18.3%

Winnipeg

$330 16% 18.5% $75

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.7%

Winnipeg

$244 11.9% 24.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$256 11.6%

Winnipeg

$239 11.6% 6.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Winnipeg

$109 5.3% 16% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9%

Winnipeg

$63 3.1% 26.5% $23

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5%

Winnipeg

$103 5% 84.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Lincoln, NE and $945 in Winnipeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 50% 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: $82.0 in Lincoln, NE vs $62.0 in Winnipeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $330 per month, with Winnipeg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇨🇦 Winnipeg

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

Same time as Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

663,617

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Lincoln, NE Winnipeg 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Winnipeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winnipeg wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Lincoln, NE. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Winnipeg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Lincoln, NE, 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: $1,064 in Lincoln, NE versus $945 in Winnipeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Winnipeg – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $82.0 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,207 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $2,056 in Winnipeg – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,056 in Winnipeg versus $2,207 in Lincoln, NE, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Winnipeg but tight or insufficient in Lincoln, NE. The gap between the two cities makes Winnipeg 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, Lincoln, NE and Winnipeg 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 Winnipeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lincoln, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.