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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Nebraska beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. You get the picture. Omaha stands out at 96 on the index, with rent of $1,403/month and household income of $72,708. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Real talk: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Nebraska beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. You get the picture. Omaha stands out at 96 on the index, with rent of $1,403/month and household income of $72,708. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Value = income ÷ cost index. The national benchmark ratio is 718. Omaha delivers 757 — 5% more purchasing power per dollar earned. This metric catches cities that expensive-but-high-paying rankings miss: a $90K salary in a city with index 80 buys more than $120K in a city with index 150.
A closer look at Omaha: the cost index of 96 breaks down to a Utilities index of 88 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,403/month — 26% below the national median — while household income sits at $72,708, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. In Omaha, the healthcare index sits at 99 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (more on that below).
You don't need to read between the lines. And in practical terms, the lines say it all: Omaha rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Omaha has increased from $1,359 to $1,403/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. In a market where everything is going up, this stands still — in a good way.
Bottom line: Omaha leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Omaha — cost index 96, rent $1,403/mo, income $72,708
Omaha rent up 3% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
483,335 residents · Nebraska
The #1 spot goes to Omaha, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,403/month — saving renters $5,904 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 88, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
294,757 residents · Nebraska
Why Lincoln ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 94 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,293/month while the median household pulls in $69,991/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 84, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $285,359 — $182,011 below the national median.
Omaha ranks #1 in Nebraska for this analysis with a cost index of 96 and median income of $72,708.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Omaha (ranked #1) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,403/mo, while Lincoln (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,293/mo — a 2-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Omaha is $1,403/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $492 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Omaha is $288,850, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Nebraska has a 5.84% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.54%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.