Lincoln, NE Cost Of Living

Lincoln cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Lincoln	Nebraska	National
Cost of living index	92	89	100
Index	Lincoln	Nebraska	National
Goods & Services index	103	95	100
Groceries index	96	95	100
Health care index	102	100	100
Housing index	81	76	100
Transportation index	102	97	100
Utilities index	72	86	100

The above illustration supplies generalized information for the Lincoln, NE cost of living index. Compared to other cities in Nebraska and cities across the country, the cost of living index in Lincoln, NE is 92, which is 4% higher than the Nebraska average and 8% lower than that for the entire country. The index is comprised of the following criteria: cost of retail goods and services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), cost of public/private transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). Everyday goods and services, along with housing account for 63 percent of the total cost of living index. Goods and services that are a necessity regardless of location provide an accurate general sense of the cost of living in one city versus another. As seen above, the cost of retail goods and services in Lincoln, NE are 8% higher than the average for Nebraska and 3% higher than the rest of the country.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Lincoln is 4% higher than the Nebraska average.
The cost of living in Lincoln is 8% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Lincoln is 19% lower than the national average.
Nebraska general sales tax is 8% higher than the national average.
Nebraska state income tax is 11% higher than the national average.

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Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is used in order to provide a comparison of your current salary in Lincoln, NE to another city of your choice. The calculator will inform you of what your salary needs to be in any specific city in order for you to maintain your living standard based on what the city’s cost of living is. As an example, if you are seeking to move to a city that has a higher cost of living compared to Lincoln, NE, you would have to earn a higher income to maintain a standard of living that is similar. To get started with the Lincoln, NE salary calculator, input the new city’s name and then move the slider to indicate your current income. The salary calculator will now process the numbers and show you whether you need to earn more or less in the chosen city. A comprehensive breakdown of the cost of living will also be shown.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$73,481	$6,123	$1,714	$2,205
Renters	$29,925	$2,494	$698	$898

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in Lincoln, NE by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in Lincoln, NE have a median income of $73,481. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $1,714 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $29,925, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $698.

Nebraska Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Nebraska	5.5%	7.5%

Nebraska Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Nebraska	2.46%	6.84%

When you are determining the total cost of living in Lincoln, NE you will want to make sure you consider both the Nebraska sales tax and the Nebraska income tax rates. Sales tax come in the form of taxes levied on both services and goods that are sold. The sales tax rates are different state to state and range from zero sales tax to higher than 7%. The sales tax in Nebraska is 5.5%, with the highest surtax being 7.5%. Tax that is on income by the government is income tax. Different states have different income tax rates and these rates can be higher or lower dependent on the corresponding tax bracket. The state income tax rates are different state to state and range from no income tax to more than 9% income tax. The income tax rates in Nebraska have a range from 2.46% to 6.84%.

Goods & Services

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$19.37	$16.09	20.4%
Beauty Salon	$36.72	$37.33	1.6%
Toothpaste	$2.19	$2.45	10.7%
Shampoo	$0.82	$1.00	18.4%
Movie	$10.33	$10.28	0.5%
Bowling	$4.56	$4.93	7.6%

Groceries

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.57	$3.80	6.2%
Fried Chicken	$1.68	$1.40	20.0%
Milk	$2.71	$2.01	34.8%
Potatoes	$2.53	$3.01	15.9%
Pizza	$10.01	$9.89	1.2%
Beer	$8.00	$8.90	10.1%

Health Care

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$109.81	$102.16	7.5%
Doctor	$126.31	$108.36	16.6%
Dentist	$81.88	$92.53	11.5%
Ibuprofen	$9.14	$9.28	1.5%
Lipitor	$454.66	$425.82	6.8%

Housing

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$150,200.00	$184,700.00	18.7%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,019.10	$1,202.44	15.2%
Apartment Rent	$750.00	$949.00	21.0%

Transportation

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.24	$2.24	0.1%
Tire Balancing	$49.16	$46.29	6.2%

Utilities

Item	Lincoln	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$134.82	$165.96	18.8%
Phone	$17.50	$28.68	39.0%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Davey, NE	143	86	-14%
Raymond, NE	123	87	-13%
Crete, NE	7,089	87	-13%
Sprague, NE	131	87	-13%
Greenwood, NE	563	88	-12%
Lincoln, NE	273,018	92	-8%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Henderson, NV	277,872	108	8%
Plano, TX	279,088	111	11%
Newark, NJ	280,139	112	12%
Toledo, OH	280,854	87	-13%
Greensboro, NC	282,177	90	-10%
Lincoln, NE	273,018	92	-8%

Source: The Lincoln, NE cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Lincoln, NE Cost of Living