Median rent is 7% lower in Omaha ($1,187/mo vs $1,281/mo). Buying is cheaper in Omaha, where the median home runs $245,500 versus $294,500. Households earn more in St. Paul ($73,394 vs $73,201 a year).
City A
Omaha, NE
City B
St. Paul, MN
How much would you need to earn in St. Paul, MN to maintain your standard of living from Omaha, NE?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Omaha
Nebraska
St. Paul
Minnesota
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Omaha at $1,187/mo compared to $1,281/mo in St. Paul (7% gap). Median home values are within 17% of each other: $245,500 in Omaha and $294,500 in St. Paul.
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Omaha
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
St. Paul
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Omaha has cleaner air on average: 42.0 AQI (Good) compared to 55.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Omaha if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 42.0).
Is Omaha cheaper than St. Paul?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Omaha vs St. Paul?
Median rent is $1,187/mo in Omaha, NE and $1,281/mo in St. Paul, MN. Omaha, NE has the lower rent by about 7%.
Which has higher salaries — Omaha or St. Paul?
Median household income is $73,201 in Omaha, NE and $73,394 in St. Paul, MN. St. Paul, MN has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Omaha, NE has better air quality on average: 42.0 AQI versus 55.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Omaha or St. Paul?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in St. Paul to match my Omaha income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
