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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The way we see it, Nebraska is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And on balance, omaha leads at an index of 96 with rent at just $1,403/month — 26% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal d…
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
The #2 spot goes to Lincoln, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,293/month — saving renters $7,224 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 84, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. At a 22% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
#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
The way we see it, Nebraska is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And on balance, omaha leads at an index of 96 with rent at just $1,403/month — 26% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (that's pre-tax, of course).
Why Omaha ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 96 on the cost index, residents save roughly 16% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,403/month while the median household pulls in $72,708/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 88, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $288,850 — $178,520 below the national median.
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. That's more or less in line with the region.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
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.