Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellingham, WA and Hilo, HI Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellingham, WA and Hilo, HI

πŸ™‚ Solo nomad: Bellingham, WA is 1.3% cheaper than Hilo, HI without rent, and 3.9% more expensive with rent.
πŸ™‚ Family of 3: Bellingham, WA is 3.1% cheaper than Hilo, HI without rent, and 14.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.96 $19.96
$17.20 $17.20
16.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.9 $83.9
$77.2 $77.2
8.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.25 $13.25
$10.87 $10.87
21.90%
Cappuccino
$5.23 $5.23
$7.75 $7.75
-32.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.27 $2.27
13.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.28 $2.28
-12.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.82 $6.82
$5.92 $5.92
15.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.93 $5.93
$6.03 $6.03
-1.66%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.74 $1.74
-42.53%
White Bread (500g)
$3.67 $3.67
$7.60 $7.60
-51.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$6.38 $6.38
-34.17%
Eggs
$4.35 $4.35
$8.58 $8.58
-49.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.23 $17.23
$13.21 $13.21
30.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.05 $16.05
$15.10 $15.10
6.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.99 $14.99
$23.01 $23.01
-34.85%
Apples (1kg)
$5.57 $5.57
$6.01 $6.01
-7.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$2.67 $2.67
-39.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$10.00 $10.00
-58.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.30 $5.30
$10.83 $10.83
-51.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.05 $3.05
$5.02 $5.02
-39.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$7.88 $7.88
-71.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$4.71 $4.71
-55.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.60 $2.60
-2.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.33 $12.33
$13.53 $13.53
-8.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.62 $19.62
$14.74 $14.74
33.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.75 $1.75
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 $4.80
$3.32 $3.32
44.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.96 $1.96
-48.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.34 $30.34
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.82 $9.82
$3.69 $3.69
166.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.16 $1.16
43.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.8 $52.8
$29.48 $29.48
79.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.22 $1.22
-5.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$22.9K $22.9K
50.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$24.3K $24.3K
6.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 $178
$282 $282
-36.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.7 $53.7
$41.56 $41.56
29.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.3 $74.3
$53.1 $53.1
39.74%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.4 $67.4
$51.2 $51.2
31.52%
Cinema Ticket
$17.97 $17.97
$12.59 $12.59
42.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,425 $1,425
$1,315 $1,315
8.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K $23.1K
$23.2K $23.2K
-0.74%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.5 $51.5
$37.58 $37.58
37.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.35 $28.35
$10.15 $10.15
179.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.5 $96.5
$78.9 $78.9
22.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 $149
$76.1 $76.1
96.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,693 $1,693
$1,644 $1,644
2.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,437 $1,437
$1,194 $1,194
20.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,797 $2,797
$2,292 $2,292
22.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,490 $2,490
$1,578 $1,578
57.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,060 $4,060
$5,497 $5,497
-26.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,132 $4,132
$5,298 $5,298
-22.00%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Bellingham, WA
Hilo, HI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,253 $4,253
$4,542 $4,542
-6.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.61
6.32
4.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bellingham, WA: March 2, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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