Is it cheaper to live in Omaha or Philadelphia?

Omaha, NE is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,120 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 20% below Philadelphia, PA's $1,400, mainly because of rent.

How much more do you need to earn to live in Omaha than in Philadelphia?

To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $39,000 a year in Omaha versus $48,000 in Philadelphia.

Which has lower taxes, Omaha or Philadelphia?

Omaha is taxed under Nebraska's rules (a top state income tax rate of 4.55% and a 5.5% state sales tax); Philadelphia under Pennsylvania's (a top state income tax rate of 3.07% and a 6% state sales tax).

Omaha vs Philadelphia Cost of Living 2026

Omaha

Nebraska

$1,120/mo est.

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

$1,400/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $1,120 in Omaha, NE versus $1,400 in Philadelphia, PA. Overall, Omaha, NE is roughly 20% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Philadelphia, PA, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $72,708 in Omaha, NE and $60,698 in Philadelphia, PA — about 17% higher in Omaha, NE. Nebraska has a top state income tax rate of 4.55% and a 5.5% state sales tax; Pennsylvania has a top state income tax rate of 3.07% and a 6% state sales tax.

Omaha, NE

Philadelphia, PA

Rent

Studio

$908

$1,126

+24% in Philadelphia, PA

1 Bedroom

$984

$1,189

+21% in Philadelphia, PA

2 Bedroom

$1,193

$1,394

+17% in Philadelphia, PA

3 Bedroom

$1,437

$1,406

+2% in Omaha, NE

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$230,100

$232,400

+1% in Philadelphia, PA

Income

Median Household Income

$72,708

$60,698

+17% in Omaha, NE

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$49,660

$54,310

+9% in Philadelphia, PA

People & Lifestyle

Median Age

35.3 yr

35.1 yr

+0.2 yr in Omaha, NE

Homeownership

57.7%

52.3%

+5.4 pp in Omaha, NE

Bachelor's+ (25+)

40.3%

34.6%

+5.7 pp in Omaha, NE

Avg Commute

19.6 min

32.0 min

+12.4 min in Philadelphia, PA

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime

358.6

916.8

+156% in Philadelphia, PA

Property Crime

3,153

4,614.3

+46% in Philadelphia, PA

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature

51.1°F

57.1°F

+6.0°F in Philadelphia, PA

Annual Precipitation

30.6 in

48.5 in

+17.9 in in Philadelphia, PA

Gas

Regular Gasoline

$4.35/gal

$4.30/gal

+1% in Omaha, NE

Area: Midwest (PADD 2) vs East Coast (PADD 1).

Public Transit

Base Fare (one-way)

$1.25

$2.50

+100% in Philadelphia, PA

Adult base one-way fare — Metro Transit (Omaha) vs SEPTA (2026).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)

13.1

20.9

+60% in Philadelphia, PA

Natural Gas ($/MCF)

$12.06

$16.67

+38% in Philadelphia, PA

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.14

about equal

Bread (lb)

$1.79

$1.92

+7% in Philadelphia, PA

Eggs (doz)

$3.63

$2.25

+38% in Omaha, NE

Ground Beef (lb)

$6.97

$6.90

+1% in Omaha, NE

Chicken (lb)

$2.15

$2.02

+6% in Omaha, NE

Bananas (lb)

$0.63

$0.68

+7% in Philadelphia, PA

Average prices — Midwest vs Northeast (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (NE / PA)

5.5%

+0.5 pp in PA

Income Tax (top rate)

4.55%

3.07%

+1.5 pp in NE

Omaha vs Philadelphia — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Omaha or Philadelphia?: Omaha, NE is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $1,120 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 20% below Philadelphia, PA's $1,400, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Omaha than in Philadelphia?: To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $39,000 a year in Omaha versus $48,000 in Philadelphia.
Which has lower taxes, Omaha or Philadelphia?: Omaha is taxed under Nebraska's rules (a top state income tax rate of 4.55% and a 5.5% state sales tax); Philadelphia under Pennsylvania's (a top state income tax rate of 3.07% and a 6% state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).