City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 23.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $123,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Omaha, NE ($124,085 → $107,501), while prices change by −19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,932 in Omaha | $123,561 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
100 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Los Angeles → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,339 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,425 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,402 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,501 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,033 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $62,670 | $77,436 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $125,220 | $154,723 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $77,030 | $95,179 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $84,600 | $104,532 (−22.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.