Scenery, history, adventure, wide open skies, majestic prairies—Nebraska has a lot of American heart to it. Whether you’re drawn to the Cornhusker State for its natural beauty, its ties to the frontier past, or its claim to the lowest unemployment rate in the country, you’ll want to make sure living there is affordable for your situation.

To help you make that decision,

Jerry

, the

trusted insurance brokerage app

aimed at saving users time and money, has the low down on Nebraska’s cost of living. We’ll talk everything from food and healthcare to monthly mortgages and, of course,

Nebraska car insurance costs

. Let’s dive in!

Let Jerry find you the best homeowners insurance policy for your needs

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Shop Now

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

How high is the cost of living in Nebraska?

Not the least expensive state, but nowhere near the most expensive, Nebraska has a cost of living of 93.7. For context, the average cost of living index (COLI) in the US sits squarely at 100. Locations with COLIs more than 100 are more expensive on average, while locations with COLIs less than 100 are usually less expensive.

For context,

Mississippi

has the lowest COLI at 83.3, and Hawaii has the most expensive COLI at 193.3—nearly double the national average!

So ol’ Nebraska sits towards the cheaper end of the state cost of living spectrum, but what does that mean for your specific monthly expenses? We’ll break the cost of living in Nebraska down into the essentials—food, healthcare, housing, and transportation.

Food: $286 to $839 per month

First on the list of living essentials is food! This section will break down your at-home food, otherwise known as your monthly grocery bill.

MIT’s

Living Wage Calculator

estimates how much you’ll spend on food in a year depending on your family size, income, and location. In Nebraska, single adults are estimated to spend $3,423 annually or $285 monthly at the grocery store. A family of four is expected to spend $10,086 annually or $839 monthly on food.

Remember this is just your grocery bill. It does not take restaurants and bars into account—so be sure to also account for your monthly consumption of Starbucks and steakhouses!

Healthcare: $527 per month

US healthcare costs are tough no matter what state you live in, but paying for healthcare in Nebraska is more expensive than average. An individual in 2022 is likely to pay $527 per month in healthcare costs in the Cornhusker State, while the average US individual can expect to pay just (“just”) $477 per month.

It is important to keep in mind, though, that healthcare costs vary widely depending on one’s situation. For example, a family caring for someone with a chronic health condition will be paying more in healthcare costs than an individual with no existing health issues.

Housing: $507 to $1,427 per month

Housing, on the other hand, is one of the main contributors to Nebraska’s low cost of living. While the typical home value in 2022 across the US is $348,079, Nebraska’s typical home value is $240,435. Average rent prices, too, are lower than the rest of the country.

The exact amount you’ll pay will depend on the kind of housing you inhabit. Here is a breakdown of the monthly bills for different types of housing:

Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,427

Average studio rent: $507

Average one-bedroom rent: $595

Average two-bedroom rent: $759

Average three-bedroom rent: $989

Average four-bedroom rent: $1,102

These are simply averages for the entire state and may vary depending on your location. For example, the typical two-bedroom apartment rent in the

Omaha

metropolitan area reaches a little over $1,400 per month. While that’s expensive, it’s still significantly less than the US average two-bedroom rent price of $2,106.

Transportation: $442 to $1,205 per month

According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, a single adult in Nebraska spends $442 per month on their transportation costs, while a family of four will spend $1,205 per month.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of public transportation options throughout the state so most of these transportation costs come from personal vehicle ownership.

Here are some of the major transportation expenses one would be responsible for:

Average annual cost of car insurance in Nebraska: $2,629 or $3,165 (

liability

only vs.

full coverage

)

30-day bus pass in Omaha: $55

Average commute length in Nebraska: 16 minutes

Average cost of a gallon of gas, July 2022: $4.45

MORE: How to deal with the rising gas prices in Nebraska

How much you need to live comfortably in Nebraska: $34,519 to $97,688 per year

Accounting for each of the major expenses above, Nebraska residents need $34,519 annually (single adult) to $97,688 annually (family of four) to live comfortably. That adds up to $16.60 per hour and $23.48 per hour respectively, assuming one works full-time 40-hour weeks.

Compare that living wage to Nebraska’s minimum wage requirement of $9.00 and it’s easy to see that even among the least expensive states, it can be a struggle to make ends meet. Especially considering that these numbers are just to make the bare minimum and don’t even include the extras, like organized sports and eating out.

Check out how much the extra expenses are in this state compared to the US averages:

Average cost of a date: $48.91 (US average: $116)

Average cost of a night at the movies: $8.15/person (US average: $10.61)

Average cost of a Big Mac: $4.07 (US average: $3.99)

Average sales tax: 5.50%(US average: 5.09%)

Now, you may very well be able to live a comfortable and happy life on less than these estimated numbers—these are just the typical bare minimum lines most Nebraskan residents live within. Everyone has different priorities, though, so if you feel a calling to be a Cornhusker, consider how your lifestyle could thrive (or not) in the area you’re looking to move to.

The Nebraska cities with the lowest cost of living

If the Nebraskan Great Plains are hollering your name and you’re answering on a budget, check out these five Nebraska cities with a cost of living lower than both the national and state average:

Alliance

(COLI: 81): This city in the Nebraska Panhandle has a low cost of living and a quirky imitation of Stonehenge!

Lexington (COLI: 81): Residents-to-be that would enjoy the state’s fifth most affordable housing and a bit of military history should check out this Nebraska city.

Nebraska City (COLI: 83): A state so nice, it’s named twice. Positioned in the east and along the Missouri River, Nebraska City is a good low-cost option.

Schuyler

(COLI: 84): This town has the least expensive homes in the entire state and is only an hour’s drive to exciting Lincoln.

Sidney (COLI: 86): You’ll find the second smallest home price to income ratio here along with some late 19th century frontier days history.

How to easily find home and car insurance in Nebraska

The overall cost of living in Nebraska is significantly cheaper than the US as a whole, but that doesn’t mean that every aspect of Nebraska living is cheap. Take

car insurance

, for example. Nebraska drivers are spending at least $219 per month on their insurance rates and the national average is only $135.

But fear not! You’re not perpetually stuck with bad rates just because you live in Nebraska. Just try the

top-rated insurance comparison app

, Jerry!

It’s this simple: download the

Jerry

app or go to getjerry.com. In less than 45 seconds, Jerry collects all of your information from your existing insurer. Choose from competitive quotes from top insurance companies and Jerry takes care of the rest—securing your new policy and helping you cancel your old one upon request.

No long forms. No calling around. No hard work. Just savings. The average Jerry user saves over $800 a year on car insurance.

“I would 11/10 recommend
Jerry
. I was originally quoted $700+ for insurance for my new car, but by using Jerry I got my payments down to $320 a month. They also have a great support team ready to answer any questions!” —Tobias F.

RECOMMENDED