

Omaha vs Waterloo
$124/mo more in Waterloo
OmahaWaterlooAbout 201 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Waterloo leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,760/mo in Waterloo. $2,636/mo in Omaha. +$1,488 a year.
Omaha
$2,636
left each month
Waterloo
$2,760
+$124 vs Omaha
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
+$124 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Omaha | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,417 | $6,870 | −$546 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,813 | $1,553 | −$260 |
| Take-home pay | $5,604 | $5,317 | −$287 |
| Rent | $1,089 | $788 | −$301 |
| Getting around | $545 | $510 | −$35 |
| Groceries | $368 | $347 | −$21 |
| Healthcare | $414 | $391 | −$23 |
| Utilities | $230 | $217 | −$13 |
| Everything else | $322 | $304 | −$18 |
| Left over | $2,636 | $2,760 | +$124 |
Salary to match Omaha
$80,000
Gross pay in Waterloo that leaves the same amount as $89,000 in Omaha.
Tax difference
+$1,171
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.4% in Omaha, 22.6% in Waterloo.
More about Waterloo
Omaha, NE in full
A 21-minute commute and one of the most stable job markets in the Midwest.
Waterloo, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $938 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
The other way
Start in Waterloo.
Waterloo → Omaha →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Waterloo than Omaha?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Waterloo leaves about $124 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,089 in Omaha and $788 in Waterloo.
Does Waterloo have state income tax?
Waterloo is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Omaha to Waterloo?
The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Omaha and Waterloo changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.