Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
105

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in New York, NY is roughly 124% more expensive than in Lincoln, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.26 $20.26

40.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.2 $79.2

49.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.17 $12.17

23.58%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.66 $5.66

15.37%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.33 $2.33

69.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.75 $1.75

72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.11 $5.11

59.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.17 $9.17

7.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 $0.90

52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.22 $3.22

54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.32 $6.32

23.58%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.48 $4.48

33.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.42 $11.42

65.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.43 $8.43

114.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.82 $14.82

28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$7.00 $7.00

-3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.10 $2.10

8.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.91 $5.91

15.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.37 $4.37

62.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.37 $3.37

25.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.71 $3.71

25.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.87 $1.87

53.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.67 $2.67

-2.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.19 $9.19

104.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$17.30 $17.30

16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.86 $1.86

85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.56 $2.56

57.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.23 $1.23

136.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$16.91 $16.91

721.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.06 $5.06

-39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.90 $1.90

11.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$35.14 $35.14

19.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.99 $0.99

18.18%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

25.15%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.17%

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

$219 $219

$144 $144

52.48%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$47.84 $47.84

55.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$65.4 $65.4

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$41.55 $41.55

169.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$26.15 $26.15

186.27%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.08 $15.08

46.82%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$834 $834

326.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$48.84 $48.84

54.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$35.07 $35.07

45.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$87.5 $87.5

40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$117 $117

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$956 $956

370.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$982 $982

213.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,164 $2,164

336.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,451 $1,451

257.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,484 $2,484

629.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,767 $1,767

278.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,834 $3,834

36.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.37

7.69%

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

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Lincoln, NE

$982 44.5% 68.1% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Lincoln, NE

$404 18.3% 28.2% $159

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Lincoln, NE

$327 14.8% 25.8% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Lincoln, NE

$257 11.6% 29.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9% 26.1% $46

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Lincoln, NE

$36 1.7% 77.9% $128

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Lincoln, NE

$72 3.3% 54.1% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $956 in Lincoln, NE. 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $79 in Lincoln, NE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $404 per month, with Lincoln, NE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

277,348

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
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

New York, NY vs Lincoln, NE: 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.

Average pay runs 36% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $956 in Lincoln, NE. 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 $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $2,208 in Lincoln, NE – 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.