Question 1

Is Lincoln or St. Louis cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Lincoln, NE is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $23/month less than in St. Louis, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,141/mo in Lincoln versus $1,218/mo in St. Louis.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Lincoln vs St. Louis?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $62,500/year before tax in Lincoln, NE and $63,000/year in St. Louis, MO — a difference of about $500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Lincoln or St. Louis cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

St. Louis — which reverses the single-person answer. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $8,729/month in Lincoln and $8,482/month in St. Louis, including county-median childcare. Rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and childcare varies even more sharply between cities, so the cheaper city can differ by household.

Question 4

Should I move to Lincoln or St. Louis?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Lincoln costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Lincoln77	St. Louis63
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,462	$3,485
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$8,729	$8,482
Salary for comfort	$62,500/yr	$63,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,141	$1,218
Median home value	$248,200	$185,100
Median household income	$69,991	$55,279
Unemployment	2.9%	4.1%
Housing score	85	71
Jobs score	90	72
Safety score	64	6
Climate score	84	97
Amenities score	27	40
Population	291.9K	293.1K
Summer high / winter low	89° / 14°	88° / 23°

Lincoln, NE vs St. Louis, MO