Lincoln vs Sacramento Cost of Living
Sacramento is approximately 23.6% more expensive than Lincoln. See salary equivalence, taxes, and side-by-side breakdown.
Lincoln, NE
Sacramento, CA
| Salary in Lincoln | Equivalent in Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $61,800 | +$11,800 (+23.6%) |
| $75,000 | $92,700 | +$17,700 (+23.6%) |
| $100,000 | $123,600 | +$23,600 (+23.6%) |
| $150,000 | $185,400 | +$35,400 (+23.6%) |
| $200,000 | $247,200 | +$47,200 (+23.6%) |
Sacramento is roughly 24% more expensive overall, and housing is doing almost all of the work: a one-bedroom runs $950 in Lincoln against $1,650 in Sacramento.
Housing does most of the damage
Housing is the reason two metros differ at all. Everything else — groceries, a haircut, a phone plan — varies far less than rent does. A one-bedroom runs about $950 a month in Lincoln and $1,650 in Sacramento — $700 a month apart, or $8,400 a year.
If you plan to buy rather than rent, the numbers move further apart: median prices of $260,000 and $500,000 mean a difference of about $48,000 in up-front cash at 20% down, plus whatever the property tax spread between Nebraska and California adds annually.
Getting around
Lincoln is effectively car-dependent; Sacramento is served by limited transit.
Work, weather, and what else is different
Lincoln is a small metro of about 0.3M and growing steadily; Sacramento is a large metro of about 2.4M and growing steadily.
The two economies have little in common. Lincoln runs on government/state capital, higher education, insurance — University of Nebraska-Lincoln and State of Nebraska among the larger employers — while Sacramento runs on state government, healthcare, technology, with State of California and UC Davis Health. Moving between them usually means changing industry as well as address, so line up work first.
Climate belongs in the comparison, not as a footnote. Lincoln: January highs near 34°F/lows near 14°F; July highs near 88°F/lows near 66°F, with significant swings and occasional severe storms. Sacramento: Mediterranean climate with cool wet winters near 40°F lows and hot dry summers with July highs often exceeding 93°F.
As Nebraska's capital and home to its flagship university, the local economy is unusually insulated from national recessions due to heavy government and education employment. As California's state capital, state government is the single largest employment sector, giving the local economy unusual insulation from private-sector downturns.
The index behind the headline ratio is BEA Regional Price Parity data; rents and home prices are market figures, and tax rates are as published by each state and city. How these are compiled and updated.
Related tools
Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — hourly and annual conversion. Mortgage calculator — what a home in either metro actually costs monthly. Guide: the true cost of relocating.